He Sounds Like a Drag
by obsessivecompulsivereadr
Summary: One day.  One day Kurt would learn to think before he speaks... or sings.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgot my disclaimer earlier. **

**I don't own Glee or any character mentioned. If I did, all Glee males would love Kurt and worship the very ground he walks on. And then he'd finally pick his one true love after having broken everyone else's heart and soul. And then he'll take Sam shopping. **

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**From Blaine: Sorry Kurt. Can't get there. I'll wait for you after school.**

Kurt read the most recent text message from his boyfriend and sighed. This was the third time this week Blaine had been sorry for not making it to a make-out session with Kurt.

Kurt pulled his white captain's hat over his eyes, closing them, and he leaned back against the fence behind him. He had been waiting under the bleachers for the past fifteen minutes. He was probably getting his jacket dirty, but for once, he didn't care.

What was going on with Blaine? It was like he was avoiding being alone with Kurt. He couldn't help but think that Sebastian had something to do with it. Blaine wouldn't cut ties with the Warbler. Kurt had gone as far as to ask for Blaine to do it, but his boyfriend had refused. Blaine's text messages were less personal now, and he never texted "I love you" anymore.

Kurt thought back to the last time Blaine had actually said "I love you" to Kurt. It had been weeks ago. It wasn't even that Kurt was scared that Blaine would cheat on him. He almost couldn't blame him if he did. Sebastian might be a horrid person, but he was undeniably sexy. And he was definitely someone Kurt could see Blaine being attracted to.

It was the fear that Blaine would leave him that kept Kurt up at night. Because then Blaine would be just another person who thought that Kurt wasn't good enough.

Kurt heard the sound of crunching gravel, and he was suddenly alert. This was not the right spot to get caught alone. Even though the bullying hadn't been bad lately, Kurt being alone under the bleachers was like a red flag for some of them.

What Kurt found wasn't a bully coming towards him. He found Sam.

Sam was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket, and the boy looked amazing. He always looked amazing.

_Oh, god I don't even believe in. Why is he here? _"Hey Sam."

"Kurt." Sam stopped a few feet in front of him.

Closer than Kurt was comfortable with, but also not close enough. _Make up your damn mind._

"Can I help you with something?" Kurt adjusted his cap and stood. Why was Sam so damn good looking? It was too distracting.

"So, I heard about the little impromptu performance at lunch." Sam smirked at him.

"Um. Oh. Well, you know how we are. The girls burst into song at the drop of a hat, and since I'm an honorary one, it seemed like a good time to join them." Kurt shrugged.

"Got a problem with it though." Sam inched a little closer.

"W-what problem?" Dammit. Why did he always get so nervous around Sam? It was insane.

"You said that I sounded like a drag." Sam narrowed his eyes at Kurt.

"Oh. How did you know that I said that?"

"I have my sources."

That expression usually meant that Jacob Ben Israel had probably recorded the song and immediately posted it to his blog.

Kurt sighed. Sam wasn't just irritated. He was pissed.

That annoying Perez Hilton wannabe could spread gossip, and unfortunately in this case – _fact_ – quicker than anyone he'd ever seen.

"It's just a song, Sam. It was just a line in the song. You've seen the movie, I'm sure," Kurt took a step forward to move around Sam. "It wasn't even a planned performance. I don't even know how I ended up with that line in the song."

"I don't remember it being a drag when you were underneath me, moaning my name and begging for me to touch you." Sam's voice had dipped lower, gotten quieter, and he was growling at Kurt.

Kurt's breath caught, and he felt a pool of desire inside him. Kurt had intended to leave, but Sam's voice was like a visceral command for him to stay right where he was.

"Sam…" Kurt moaned.

"Yea. Like that. That's exactly what it sounded like," Sam breathed.

"Stop," Kurt said quietly. "You knew…we both knew." He took a deep breath. "We both knew this would have to be over the moment you decided to see Mercedes."

"You left me first." Sam shoved his fists into the pockets of his jeans. "You _literally_ left me first. You weren't just running from Karofsky when you went to Dalton. You were running from me too."

"Sam. I was just an experiment to you," Kurt returned. "You said so yourself. And you had Quinn. You chose Quinn."

"I never called you an experiment, Kurt."

He hadn't denied choosing Quinn though. That thought hurt a bit more than Kurt had expected.

"No, maybe not in so many words, but that's what I was to you."

"You didn't seem to mind the research part of us." Sam looked at Kurt, his gaze dark and bitter.

"Sam, please."

"That's what you said when I kissed you. Remember?"

Kurt closed his eyes before they could begin tearing. Why was Sam doing this now? Of all the times to have this conversation, why NOW? "I remember."

"I remember that, when you said please, I couldn't figure out if you meant _please stop_ or _please kiss me again_."

Kurt knew though. He'd been consumed with thoughts about that kiss from Karofsky. He'd wanted a kiss from someone he wanted, and Kurt had wanted Sam so badly. If he were honest with himself, he still wanted Sam. He had definitely meant _please kiss me again_.

He'd used Sam. It hadn't mattered that Kurt had been attracted to Sam to begin with. The kiss had been a way to wash Karofsky out of Kurt's mind. But because he had made the decision not to out the other jock, he'd neglected to mention _that_ kiss to Sam.

A wave of shame came over him. He'd been hurt that he'd been Sam's experiment, but hadn't he done the very same thing to Sam?

"Stop, Sam."

"Why? We need to talk about this, and this is a perfect time."

"Sam, you CHOSE Quinn," Kurt almost shouted. "And yet again, the one person that I wanted more than anyone…" Kurt broke off before he could finish that statement. He was done wanting people who… people he couldn't have.

"You told me to find someone that society deems more acceptable, Kurt."

"That was for that duet competition, and you know it, Sam."

"Yea, I know. But what Finn said got to you, didn't it?"

"If you want to know the truth, then yes. Finn got to me. He convinced me that I was being selfish. That I… never mind. It doesn't matter now."

"Is Blaine more acceptable, Kurt? Because he's gay and not bisexual?" Sam spat out the second question.

"I don't want to talk about him with you. I can't."

"Does he know?"

Kurt sighed and closed his eyes again. He knew what Sam was asking, but he couldn't stop himself from qualifying the question. "Does he know what?"

"Does he know that he wasn't your first?" Sam took another step towards Kurt. "Does he know you weren't just bringing me clothes to the motel? Does he know that the _rumor_ about us last year was true? Does he know that we had sex?" Sam's voice wavered on the last question.

Kurt thought back to that night. They'd done a good job convincing everyone that it had been innocent, but the encounter at the motel had been anything but. Kurt had brought Sam some clothes, but Sam hadn't been alone that night. His parents had taken his younger siblings out with them, and Sam had stayed back at the motel to study. Had Kurt known Sam hadn't been alone, he wouldn't have gone.

Yes, he would have, Kurt admitted to himself. Despite Blaine.

Kurt had known what he was doing. Since Kurt had asked Sam to kiss him, the tension between them had been unbearable. Even developing feelings for Blaine hadn't crushed the need inside him. The complete and utter _need_ he had for Sam Evans. He hadn't gone there with the intent to have sex with Sam, but had he known Sam was alone, he would have.

Kurt met his gaze. "No. He doesn't know that I cheated on him with you. I think he suspects that I have feelings for you though. He overreacted during that fight in the choir room. It was about more than the sexuality of the dancing. And he wouldn't talk to me about it afterwards. " Kurt was glad Sam hadn't even seemed to acknowledge that Kurt had said HAVE feelings, as in present tense.

"The way I look at it, you cheated on ME with HIM. I was there first. I kissed you first, and I know for sure that I fucked you first. You were mine first."

The desire and sheer frustration in Sam's voice tugged at Kurt.

_I fucked you first_. The crude expression had been accurate. And hearing the words in Sam's husky voice played him. Damn him. He knew Kurt would remember that night, and how Sam's hushed cursing had turned Kurt on and had him begging for Sam to… for him to…

Kurt blinked back tears and forced himself to think clearly.

"Sam, please stop this," Kurt begged. "Sam. You. Chose. Quinn. You let Finn get to you too. You let him convince you that there was something wrong with wanting to be around me. So you chose Quinn. What was I supposed to do? Just pine over you forever while you played out the _The Quarterback Loves The Cheerio_ scenario?"

"No. But you weren't supposed to go run off with _Little Mr. Out and Proud_."

"Why not? Don't I deserve that? Don't I deserve to have someone who wants me, and only me?" Kurt grimaced inwardly at that question.

He grimaced because he didn't even _have_ someone who only wanted him. He knew Blaine wanted Sebastian, even if he was convinced that his boyfriend wasn't acting on his feelings. Even David Karofsky had moved on from his initial attraction to Kurt. During their last trip to Scandal's, David had been cozy with a guy who seemed very in to him. He'd been happy for David. But Kurt had felt a slight sting.

Finn had _never_ wanted him.

Sam _had_ wanted him. Sam had _had_ him. And then Sam had moved on to someone else.

David had wanted him. David _hadn't_ had him, and then he'd moved on to someone else.

And it was just a matter of time before Blaine figured out that he didn't want only Kurt either.

Because nobody did, and that thought didn't just sting. It burned.

"I was scared, Kurt. And confused."

"I know, Sam. And then when your confusion was over, you chose Quinn."

"You chose Blaine."

"You chose Mercedes. And even though that didn't last long, you're back now. And you have Mercedes again."

"No, I don't."

"But you're trying to get her back. So again. You've made your choice." Kurt tried to step past him.

"What are we doing, Kurt?" Sam grabbed him to stop him from walking away.

"We're doing what we always do. We're moving on," Kurt stared at the hand Sam had placed on his forearm. "We screwed everything up from the very beginning. It's too late to fix it."

"Do you want to fix it?" Sam whispered.

"This feels like a repeat of the discussion we had in New York. I may not be as close to Mercedes as we used to be, but I will not hurt her. When you told me you were attracted to her, you knew how I'd respond. At the time, I thought maybe you said that to push me away."

"Maybe I did. I don't even know, really."

"I will not be selfish. I will not hurt her. I can lose a lot of people in my life, but she's not one of them."

"You were willing to lose me," Sam prodded.

"I never HAD YOU!" Kurt shouted. "I never really….had you, and you can't lose what was never yours to begin with." His burst of anger was gone in a flash. "Please let go." Kurt glanced at the hand still holding his arm.

Sam slowly removed his iron grip from Kurt's arm. As he pulled away, he brushed his fingers against Kurt's.

"Have you listened to yourself in the past few minutes?"

"Of course I have, Sam."

"You are so concerned about hurting Mercedes, but you haven't mentioned one word about hurting Blaine. Don't you find that odd?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." And he didn't know. Maybe Blaine would be better off with Sebastian.

"It sounds to me like you made the wrong choice."

"So did you."

"And that's that, I guess," Sam dipped his hands back into his pockets.

"Yes. That's that." Kurt rubbed his arm where Sam had touched him, and then he stood and adjusted his ensemble. "Are we done here?" Kurt made a move to leave.

"No. One more thing." Sam grabbed Kurt's fingers and pulled him closer.

Kurt sighed. "What?"

"Take it back."

"Take what back?" Kurt looked into his eyes. A shock of blonde hair covered one of Sam's eyes, and Kurt resisted the urge to brush it out of his face.

"What you said. Well sang. Even if you only say it to me, right here and right now. Take it back."

Kurt pressed closer and rested his forehead against Sam's. He'd love nothing more than to kiss him, but he couldn't go back. Not now. There were too many variables in this equation. Mercedes. Blaine.

"You weren't ever a drag, Sam," he whispered.

He allowed Sam to hold on to his hand until their arms were fully extended between them. Kurt met Sam's gaze, and their hands fell apart between them.

_The touch of the fingertips is a sexy as it gets_, he thought to himself as he walked away from Sam.


	2. Chapter 2

_Sam stood silently and watched Kurt stare at himself in the mirror. _

_Kurt wasn't being vain at all. He could see Kurt's reflection from where he stood. Kurt wasn't looking at himself. It was as if he was staring through the mirror, watching something replaying in his mind. If Kurt was aware right now, he'd know that Sam was here, because Kurt's reflected face would have spotted him by now. _

_No, Kurt wasn't being vain. There was none of his usual preening or self-evaluating going on at the moment. He wasn't even looking at himself, so how could Kurt be aware of just how good he looked at the moment. Sam smiled slightly when he realized that this wasn't the first time Sam had noticed exactly how good Kurt looked. _

"_Hi, I'm Kurt Hummel. I just wanted to personally welcome you to Glee Club."_

"_You've been honorable, actually."_

"_When you're different, when you're special, sometimes you have to get used to being alone."_

"_Baby, won't you play me…. le jazz hot maybe…"_

_Sam sighed. _

_They were backstage in the auditorium, and they'd just finished singing the Singing in the Rain/Umbrella mash-up with Mr. Shue and Ms. Holiday. Not only was Kurt still dressed, he was actually still soaked from the ridiculous water effects that would have Coach Sylvester railing at the choir teacher tomorrow. But Kurt didn't even seem to notice it at all. The fedora he'd worn earlier for the number twirled forgotten in his hands. _

"_Hey, you okay?" Sam asked softly as he came up behind Kurt._

_Kurt jumped with surprise, and the hat dropped to the floor. There had been a split second look of fear in his eyes, but almost immediately, Kurt's mask of control slid back._

"_What? Oh, yeah. I'm okay." Kurt's reflection answered. _

"_What's wrong? And don't tell me nothing because I can tell." _

_Sam watched Kurt's struggle to maintain that mask, and he wondered what Sam would need to do to see it finally fall._

"_I'm just thinking. I've been thinking a bit too much lately if you want to know the truth."_

"_About what?"_

"_Me….and not the way you might think. I've been trying to figure out how I get myself into things that I can't get myself out of. And why I can't get myself out of them. That's the worst part. Why can't I do more than…be more than…" Kurt stopped as if he'd given up._

_Sam came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Kurt. Kurt tried to pull away, but Sam refused to let him. He'd seen Kurt shrug off affection from other guys. There was something bothering Kurt about that too, and Sam wasn't stupid. He'd bet his collection of Avatar memorabilia that Finn had something to do with Kurt's unwillingness to let guys touch him. So Sam was going to hold Kurt until he stopped flinching away from his touch._

"_Stop, Kurt. It won't actually kill you to let someone hold you." Sam felt him relax slightly, but only slightly. Kurt would never relax nearly enough to take his tension away because he would never allow that much weakness. But he stopped struggling. _

_Carefully, not wanting to spook him, Sam rested his chin on Kurt's shoulder. "One thing at a time. What did you get yourself into?"_

"_I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone…else. I tried that already and it backfired on me." Kurt leaned his head to the side to brush against Sam's. "It's complicated."_

_Sam smiled. "Okay. I can respect that. But I'm willing to hear you out if you ever decide to talk about it. Now, what about the rest?"_

_Kurt met his gaze in the mirror. "What rest?"_

"_The why can't I do more than, be more than. The part you didn't finish." _

"_What do you do? Memorize everything you hear?" Kurt laughed._

_Sam shrugged, and the movement shifted both of them. "It makes learning things easier."_

"_The dyslexia. That's brilliant, you know. You must have an amazing memory." Kurt whispered._

"_It makes up for some of my flaws."_

"_What flaws?" Kurt stared at Sam's reflection with apparent disbelief._

_Sam snorted. "I have flaws, Kurt. Plenty of them. Everybody does."_

"_Tell me about it," Kurt sighed. "I'm weak. Physically, I mean."_

"_I've got dyslexia."_

"_That's not a flaw. That's karma getting even with you for those abs." Kurt grinned._

_Sam laughed, and the shaking dislodged Kurt from his arms. "I'm too vain about those, by the way, so that's a flaw right there." Sam leaned against table behind him and gestured for Kurt to take his next turn._

_Kurt shifted around to look at Sam. "I'm too girly. Although I deny it when people tell me that, I can admit it to myself."_

"_I put lemon juice in my hair," Sam whispered._

"_I KNEW IT!" Kurt clapped as he laughed at the admission. _

"_Hush. Your turn."_

"_I'm so much of a diva that sometimes I piss myself off." Kurt laughed._

"_I'm a dork."_

"_I'm judgmental to others even though I despise it when people do the same to me." Kurt looked as if that admission had cause actual pain. _

"_There are times when I actually think I'm stupid. Just because I let what people say get to me."_

"_You're not stupid, Sam." Kurt wrapped his arms around himself as he spoke. "I hate my smile."_

"_Wow. We have a matching one because I hate my smile too." Sam added._

"_There is nothing wrong with your smile, Sam."_

"_My lips are too big. Even Puckerman brought that up when I first met you guys—which kind of freaked me out actually." Puckerman was a bit too interested in Sam's mouth. _

"_I can totally see that. Puck has issues." Kurt smiled. "Your lips aren't too big. They're actually….." Kurt shot to attention and stopped talking. _

"_They're what?" Sam prompted immediately. He really didn't care if it made Kurt uncomfortable. He really just needed to know exactly what Kurt had tried to stop saying._

"_Sam," Kurt flashed a look that clearly showed he had no intention of finishing his statement. _

"_They're what, Kurt?" _

_"Sam." Kurt warned. _

"_Did you know I can speak Na'vi?" Sam asked to throw off Kurt's composure, and he was pleased to see the confused look on his face._

"_Say something then," Kurt challenged._

"_Meuianga"_

"_What does that mean?"_

"_Honorable. Pxan." When Kurt's eyebrow rose, Sam added, "means worthy" to answer the unasked question._

"_Seykxel and txur. The first one means emotionally strong and the other means physically strong." _

"_Well now, txur doesn't sound very pleasant to me. So I guess I can be happy I'm not physically strong now. I'd much rather be sexual." _

_Kurt made it quite obvious that he'd pronounced the first word intentionally wrong. And then laughter simply burst out of him. The change in Kurt's face was remarkable. He glowed when he laughed. _

_Sam grinned brightly. "That was awesome!" _

"_Sam, it was an awful joke and you know it," Kurt smiled._

"_No, I meant your laughter was awesome. The joke was good though. Clever." Sam shoved his hands into his pockets. "Now, back to my question. My lips are what, Kurt?"_

_Kurt pressed his fingers to his forehead. "You are relentless, Evans."_

"_I know. We'll add that to the list of flaws. You can add stubborn to yours now."_

"_Ha. Ha. Tell me another word." _

"_Ontsang, and you're stalling." _

"_What does it mean?"_

"_Nose ring." Sam smirked._

_Kurt snorted with amusement. "Well, that one will certainly come in handy for me one day."_

"_Kurt Hummel," Sam demanded. "Tell me. I don't give a damn if it's embarrassing or not."_

"_Your lips are perfect, Sam." Kurt closed his eyes and blushed. "Especially when you speak Na'vi." Kurt cupped his mouth and it was quite obvious that his brain had not planned on admitting that._

_Sam smirked again. "Your smile is beautiful, too, Kurt. Don't ever let anyone tell you any different."_

_Kurt stared at him. "My smile isn't beautiful. My mouth is weird….. It's different from yours."_

"_Keteng. Means different. Don't you like being different?"_

"_Not really," Kurt whispered. "Can I hear some more Na'vi?" _

"_Seyris. Kxa. Mowan. Sapom."_

_Kurt's eyes were on Sam's mouth, and Sam was certain that he'd never felt more turned on in his life. _

_Kurt continued to stare, and Sam was impressed with Kurt's ability to calmly ask, "Definitions, please." _

"_Lips, mouth, physically or sexually enjoyable, and kiss. In that order." _

_Kurt moaned, and the sound shot straight to Sam's cock. He could feel himself getting hard. _

"_Kurt?" Sam whispered. Kurt's eyes were still on Sam's mouth. _

"_That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen or heard, Sam Evans. And I really should not have said that." Kurt backed away from him._

_Sam stepped closer. "Why not?"_

"_Because… I have this thing. A really annoying thing that I would put on that flaws list, and I'm doing it right now. And I need to stop because this is crazy."_

"_What's your thing?" Sam whispered._

"_My thing is that I always become attracted to people who are out of reach. And I always end up wanting who I can't have, and that's a really frustrating thing for me, and it drives me crazy, but I can't seem to stop doing it. And I've already had one crushing incident over it because I happen to have a thing for sexy football players, and I'm really not supposed to have a thing for them, especially when they are straight, and it's really kind of torturous right now, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop listening to me right now because I already know I'm babbling. And that's another thing I do, when I'm nervous…" Kurt ran out of breath and he'd begun pacing._

"_Kurt, I don't know what's going on here right now. I know that I've always been attracted to girls, and I have never had a problem with gay guys. Like I said before. Maybe I've always been comfortable because I'm bisexual. I don't even know that I am bisexual, but it would make sense, wouldn't it?"_

"_Bisexual," Kurt sounded as if he'd never even uttered the word before, and it sounded almost misplaced. "Do you really think you may be? Or is it just confusion?" Kurt's voice was filled with wonder, not anger. He wasn't mocking. He sounded truly curious._

_Sam shrugged. "I don't really know. It'll be something I need to think about I guess."_

"_Kiss me," Kurt closed the distance between them. _

"_What? Are you sure?"_

"_Yes."_

_Sam placed a hand at Kurt's neck and wrapped his fingers into the hair at his nape. Sam stepped in and pressed his lips to Kurt's. Kurt's mouth opened instinctively, and Sam flicked his tongue out to explore the softness of Kurt's lower lip. And then he slipped his tongue inside, and groaned. Kurt's arms wrapped around Sam's neck, and Kurt moaned into his mouth. Sam's other hand slipped under the vest Kurt had worn for the number earlier. He stroked the white shirt underneath, and he wished it wasn't separating him from Kurt's skin._

"_So you have a thing for jocks, huh?" Sam kissed him again._

"_Yes. Especially you, Sam." Kurt admitted quietly._

"_Guess what?" He murmured against Kurt's mouth. Then Sam pulled back so he could talk freely._

"_What?" Kurt whispered. He leaned forward to kiss Sam again, but Sam held back some._

"_I finally watched Singing in the Rain. I totally get the importance of a duet between two guys now." _

"_Sam, please." _

_Sam couldn't tell if he was asking for Sam to stop or for another kiss. So before, Kurt could clarify, Sam's mouth was grinning against his one more time. Sam backed Kurt up against the table, dipping his head over and over to drop quick kisses onto his mouth. Kurt was so damn vocal. Every touch had him moaning, and every kiss had him panting. _

"_It's like you're singing with me," Sam sighed._

_Kurt stiffened in his embrace, and then wrenched himself away. "We have to stop, Sam." _

_Sam knew he was right, but he would really like to argue with him about it. _

_Because they'd both forgotten about Quinn._

Sam shot awake.

And not for the first time, he cursed having such a remarkable memory. The dream felt more like a flashback, because almost every line was word for word. Every smile was the same. This kiss was the same, if not even hotter in dream form.

Sam relaxed back onto the mattress and sighed, rubbing his hand idly though his hair.

He and Kurt had talked about the kiss a few days later. The conclusion that they'd come to was that Sam had been confused, and he hadn't been fair to Quinn. He'd been with Quinn first, and Kurt wanted him to take his time deciding what he really wanted.

Kurt definitely wanted Sam, but Kurt didn't want to be someone's second choice. Kurt had admitted to being afraid that Sam would fool around with him but ultimately choose to have a girlfriend.

Sam had been confused. Hell, Sam was still confused.

And in the end, Sam made his decision.

Kurt walked away sadly, but there was an almost expectant look on his face. Kurt had known the whole time what Sam would do. You could see it on Kurt's face.

And less than two weeks later, Sam had stupidly given a promise ring to Quinn Fabray.

And it had been Sam's first wrong choice. And it had led Kurt right into the arms of Blaine Anderson.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Dear Sam Evans,

Please forgive any incorrect Na'vi words. But in my defense, you aren't here to translate for me properly. ;)

Will be WIP now. ;) Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I haven't written in a very long time, so this is to work out the kinks (not those kind lol).


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt sat, staring out into the empty auditorium.

So, that was it. He wasn't a finalist for NYADA.

Not that he was surprised at the information. Kurt glanced down at the envelope in his hands—an envelope that changed his entire future. He had no desire to talk to Rachel at the moment, because despite her idiotic class president incident, she'd been given a finalist spot for NYADA.

He was happy for her. Maybe.

Mostly, he was just indifferent to whether or not she'd gotten one. He knew she would. She had too much potential and too many actual credits for NYADA to ignore.

He'd had nothing. Nothing that was worth anything in the eyes of the admissions office, anyway.

He snorted at his own self-pity. It wasn't like he didn't have any options.

So far, he'd been accepted to three schools, two for fashion design and one for musical theatre. They were wonderful schools. But they weren't schools in New York. He was still waiting for word from Parsons and FIT. They were his last shots for New York.

Kent State's fashion design program offered him a full scholarship, as had the Columbus College of Art and Design. His portfolio had been exceptional, and it was not his conceit talking. He'd been given high praise from both schools, and the Kent State admissions office had actually contacted him personally. The privately funded scholarship they wanted him to take hadn't been offered to anyone in the past three years. That's how impressed they'd been. He'd be crazy not to take them up on that. It would save the family thousands of dollars in tuition and student loans.

He'd been accepted into a great musical theatre program too, but it was in North Carolina—the UNC School of the Arts. It was a small program, but it had some very good qualities and internships. But it wasn't NYADA.

He had quite a bit of thinking to do, it seemed. At least, he didn't have to decide until he got word from Parsons and FIT design programs.

Kurt hopped off the auditorium stage and grabbed his messenger bag from the floor. He scooped up his black peter-pan style hat and placed it on his head, adjusting it slightly to fortify himself. This one was one of his favorites.

Now to find someone to process all this with.

He couldn't talk to Mercedes about it. Since her diva walk-out and her Troubletones phase, she'd almost stopped talking to Kurt. She had the annoying tendency to believe that everything was all about her even during the best of times.

During the worst of times, the trait got downright offensive.

Like when his father had been in the hospital, and she decided her life's mission was to teach Kurt about religion. Instead of just standing by him, holding his hand, and saying that she'd be there for him, which had been what he'd needed. No. It had been about how well she could convince him that God did exist.

Like when he'd been chased out of Dalton, and all he heard from her was how he'd hurt her, and how he'd left her, and how she had nobody to talk to after he'd enrolled in Dalton. She'd not even once asked if Dalton was good for him.

Like when he'd been turned down for the role of Tony, and she'd thrown a hissy fit because she would have had to share the role of Maria with Rachel.

He sighed. No. He would not be talking to Mercedes.

Rachel wouldn't understand either. She'd be too upset that the admissions office had interfered with her plans. And then once she spared a few minutes to feel badly for Kurt, she'd move on to preparing her audition for the NYADA finals.

He would tell his Dad only after he'd decided where he would go. If Kurt decided to take the scholarship, he didn't want his father believing it was being done for the wrong reason. His dad would pay for all of his college expenses and never complain, but Kurt had to be reasonable about the decision.

Santana and Britt were out. They'd provide support, and some snark, but it wouldn't help him decide.

Kurt needed to talk to Sam.

He needed to talk to Sam because Kurt already knew how Blaine felt about it. Thanks to the interesting conversation Kurt and Blaine that had taken place an hour ago, he knew exactly how Blaine felt about Kurt's options. And it hadn't been a pleasant conversation at all.

**From Kurt: Skip class? Got bad news. Need to talk. **

Kurt wondered why they still had each other's cell phone numbers. This was only the second time Kurt had used it since Sam had returned. Sam's old cell had been sold when the family had gone through financial difficulties. When Sam got back, he'd sent Kurt a simple "it's me, new number" text to identify himself, and Kurt had immediately added it to his contacts. Kurt had replied with "ok added u". And that had been the entire exchange. Not very life-changing at all.

The reply came after a few minutes.

**From Sam: sure where are u?**

**From Kurt: auditorium**

Kurt went back to the stage and sat back down to wait. Class could wait. If he didn't talk to Sam now, he didn't have a clue when the opportunity would come again.

Kurt heard running a few minutes later, and he could hear Coach Sylvester shouting in the distance. Sam came ducking into the auditorium and bounded down the steps.

"What did she call you this time?" Kurt asked when Sam reached him.

"The usual. Macaulay Culkin. Bieber freak. Justin Taylor wannabe. Although the fact that she even knew about _him_ frightens me. And there was some reference to the swim team. Apparently the existence of my uneven nipples have reached the Cheerios." Sam grinned at him.

Kurt snorted. "Of course it did. Sue wouldn't let that go. Just be glad she's not your coach."

Well, shit. Now he'd really need to investigate a Sue Sylvester who watches Queer as Folk. That could lead to a lot of good blackmail material. Although, Kurt had to concede, she did have a point. Sam did resemble the sexy blonde from the show. _Maybe too much_.

"So what's the bad news?" Sam sat on the edge of one of the front row auditorium seats.

"I didn't get into NYADA."

"Oh, Kurt. I'm so sorry."

"It's not like I didn't realize that this is what would happen. I didn't even have anything good to put on my application." Kurt shrugged and turned to sit next to him.

"But it was important to you. Any other New York schools? I know how much New York means to you."

"I haven't heard from the other two schools there yet. But I did get into three schools," Kurt smiled.

"That's awesome! Where?"

"Well, two are in Ohio. Kent State and Columbus. The third is in North Carolina."

"Are they good schools?"

"Yes, and Kent State is offering me a scholarship that they haven't offered in the past three years, because they were impressed with my design portfolio." Kurt leaned to the side so he could see Sam while he spoke.

"Wow. Kurt that's incredible! I'm proud of you." Sam smiled and echoed Kurt's change in position.

"Thanks."

"Can I ask why you wanted to talk to me about it? It's not that I don't think you should be, it's just…"

"Your opinion matters to me." Kurt fidgeted a little. "Now, what do you think my dad would do if I took the Kent State scholarship? It would mean my family wouldn't have to spend a dime and I won't have to take out student loans or financial aid."

"I think your dad would tell you to follow your heart, and not worry about his wallet." Sam tried his _I'm-serious-and-don't-argue-with-me-face_. He's so damn adorable it isn't even fair.

"I think you are correct. I'm leaning towards that even without knowing from Parsons and FIT. They are both design schools too, and I'm out of options for musical theatre. I was turned down by all of them except for UNC. It would be stupid don't you think? To give up a full scholarship because the school offering it isn't in New York?"

In all honesty, with his family's previous, and probably current, money problems, Sam would be the only one who could be realistic about his decision. Everybody else would argue over the location of his school. Dad, Britt, Finn and maybe some of his other friends would want him to choose Ohio. Rachel would go down with the New York ship. Rachel was the freaking _captain_ of the Kurt loves New York ship.

"Kurt, you have an amazing talent, and Kent State sees that. If you chose them, I don't think you'd be unhappy. And it's not like you'll never be in New York. You'll just get there a few years later than planned. And with the knowledge of being a recipient of their full scholarship to go on your resume too."

"You are right about that. Thank you."

"What does Blaine think?" Sam sounded hesitant. He probably didn't really want to know but didn't want to actually admit it.

"Honestly, you don't want to know what he said. I wish_ I_ didn't know what he thinks about it." Kurt hadn't planned to talk to Sam about Blaine's reaction, but it always seemed that he couldn't keep his mouth shut around Sam.

Sam sighed and lowered his head. His hair fell in front of his face, and it hid whatever aggravation he was feeling. But Kurt saw his hands curling into fists. "What did he say?"

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Do you promise you won't go pummel him or anything?"

"No."

Kurt snorted. Well, that was direct. "I snort a lot around you. Have you ever noticed that?"

"Yes."

"Wow, you're so eloquent right now."

"What did he say?"

"Well, he started out being supportive. As much as he can be supportive I guess. He usually gets whatever he wants, so he can't really imagine a situation in which someone doesn't. So he can't really understand. Then it morphed into him deciding that it was better that I face not getting into and NYADA or any musical theatre schools now. As opposed to later when I auditioned for parts in New York and didn't get them—which would be an embarrassing failure, apparently."

"Dammit. He's such an asshole sometimes." Sam stood and stalked over to the edge of the stage. He leaned against it and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not even going to argue with that, because I'm really unhappy with him at the moment. But it's partly that he's just totally oblivious to other people's feelings most of the time."

"Why do you let him talk to you like that?"

Kurt really didn't have a good answer for that, and it bothered him. He had a vague idea, but that vague idea wasn't positive either, so he really didn't want to verbalize it.

"I don't know really."

"The person who's supposed to love you the most is the person who's supposed to support you no matter what, right?" Sam wasn't looking at him. He seemed to be watching the door, but Kurt could tell it was more about just avoiding looking at Kurt.

"They're supposed to, yes. Not that I've ever experienced that." Kurt sat back and crossed one leg over the other. He adjusted his cardigan and smoothed out non-existent wrinkles in his pants.

"What do you mean?"

"Sam, the last person to love me completely unconditionally, with a real ability to understand and relate to me, and a willingness to support me in anything… died when I was eight years old. And she already knew I was gay. She knew before I did. If she'd lived…" Kurt stopped.

He didn't want to think about how life could be different if his mother hadn't died.

"What about your dad? He seems awesome."

"He is. But he's not always been behind me a hundred percent. There have been situations where I felt that he didn't have my back, and he definitely can't relate to me. That doesn't mean he doesn't love me because he loves me more than anything. But he's not always been there. The gay thing creates a wall between us. And….I'm not Finn." Kurt closed his eyes as he got as close to comfortable as was possible in the auditorium seats.

"What do you mean?" Sam's voice was soft and soothing. Kurt could just listen to him for hours. Maybe he'd slip in some Na'vi. That would be nice.

Stop. _Focus._

"Unfortunately, Finn is the model son with regard to things that my father can relate to. He doesn't love Finn more. He can just understand Finn more without exerting any effort. He enjoys that. With me, he struggles to just talk. Or they team up to give me bad advice." _Or hurl invalid accusations_.

"But Blaine. He should be that for you, shouldn't he? Shouldn't he at least try to put you first?"

"Sam. Other than my father, nobody puts me first, and dad has a dodgy history with it himself. Why would Blaine? I'm always second best in somebody else's eyes. Believe me. Once you realize it's going to happen your whole life, you get used to it. It's not a shock to me or anything."

There was no response. Kurt wondered if Sam realized that he was also in that category of people. Because Kurt had been second choice to Quinn.

"Sam, my eyes aren't even open and I can tell you're staring at me. Don't tell me you've never noticed it?"

Carole would have his back, but Finn would come first with her. And that's as it should be. Finn was her son, and Kurt wasn't. That he could totally understand.

Finn chose staying on the good side of the jocks over defending Kurt from Karofsky. Granted, he felt guilty now, but he only felt guilty because he'd been called out by Kurt's dad.

Mercedes alienated him once he'd transferred to Dalton. She'd chosen herself over Kurt again. What his choices had done to _her_ were all that mattered to her.

Rachel. His and Rachel's relationship was more like the lead roles of Wicked than anyone knew. Rachel would never put Kurt's needs first because they'd interfere with her own.

Mr. Shue would never acknowledge that Kurt had enough talent to compete with Rachel. Because Rachel and Finn would always be his stars.

Coach Sylvester was the only adult at the school that would have helped Kurt. But then again, if it interfered with her Cheerios, she'd gladly stab him in the back with a rusty knife and then verbally abuse him if he didn't say thank you for the lesson in real pain.

He could almost hear a personalized _'if you think that's hard, Porcelain'_ tirade in his head.

The other members of Glee tolerated Kurt.

And Blaine.

There was a time that Blaine put him first. Maybe. Kurt wasn't even sure that Blaine transferring to McKinley had really been for him. Kurt had lingering suspicions that he transferred to be the lead soloist in New Directions. They'd already proven that they could beat the Warblers, and Blaine was just as competitive as Rachel over that kind of thing.

Now Blaine was figuring out that Kurt wasn't worth it. It had only been a matter of time. Sebastian had made that very clear to Kurt.

"I know what it's like to feel like someone's second choice, Kurt."

"I know you do. But you let that happen." Kurt got up and retrieved the messenger bag from where he'd placed it on the stage.

"Kurt," Sam began.

"No, Sam. You did. You allowed her to put you in second place just like I've allowed Blaine to do that to me. We're not that different, you know." Kurt shouldered his bag and headed for the aisle leading to the exit. Turning to face Sam, he began slowly walking backwards. "Being honorable isn't always the right thing to do… for yourself."

"Kurt, wait."

Kurt stopped. "Let me finish, and I promise, I'm not trying to hurt you. I think I'd do just about anything to _keep_ you from getting hurt. But I think this is something you really need to hear."

"What?"

"You _had_ someone who put you first once," he said softly. "But you decided to do the honorable thing with Quinn. And look what happened. You ended up giving a promise ring to a stupid, selfish little Cheerio who would have never put you first."

Kurt tried to stem the bitterness in his voice, because he knew it wouldn't help matters.

It would only show Sam exactly how much that had hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

_This was new_, Sam thought as he stared up at the sky.

So this is what Kurt had felt like when he'd been thrown in the dumpster. Puck had mentioned that it was bad, but until Shane and his cronies had actually done it, Sam hadn't thought it would ever actually happen to him.

Well, in retrospect, it probably hadn't been a good idea to publicly declare his intention to get Mercedes back with Shane and half the football team standing right there beside her. He'd gotten away with it once, on his first day back, but only because the team hadn't been anywhere near him. Mercedes had just stood there with a look of shock on her face. Well, what had he expected anyway?

It was quiet in here. It smelled, but it was quiet. Silver lining maybe? As long as it didn't start pouring, maybe he could stay in here for the rest of the day.

He wondered if Kurt knew where he was at the moment. He hadn't spoken to him in over a week, other than a scattered hello in the halls or small talk during Glee. There'd been no real conversation since the afternoon in the auditorium. Kurt's parting words had hurt, but they'd been true. He was tempted to text him an SOS, but what would be the point in that? Kurt was probably off with Blaine somewhere.

Sam climbed out of the dumpster and headed for the school. He had a change of clothes with him because of swim practice, so he'd just wear those for the rest of the day. His current clothes weren't filthy, but he'd rather not wear them now.

He headed for a regular boys' bathroom rather than the locker room. He'd change in there and avoid another confrontation.

Sam stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, his hands grasping the sink in anger.

Since when? Since when did he avoid confrontation? He'd taken on Karofsky in the locker room for his treatment of Kurt. He hadn't backed down when Finn had come at him over Quinn. He was someone who stood up for things, for people, especially when it was the right thing to do.

When did he become someone who backed down?

Sam threw his dirty clothes into his bag and headed for class.

He'd made it through two class periods before it happened.

He turned the corner in between English and history classes, and he was doused with at least five different slushies. Damn. Kurt had been right about those feeling like a god damn iceberg.

Sam closed his eyes and sighed, and he felt the cold all the way to his bones.

"Look loser. You stay away from my woman," Shane warned.

Sam glanced at Mercedes, and again, she just stood there. She looked sad but not shocked this time. She must have known this was coming, and she hadn't said a word to him last period.

When Shane left, Mercedes went with him, and she didn't even look back. Well, that was that.

Sam stood there dripping for a few moments, trying to decide where to go to clean up, when he heard a gasp from behind him.

"SAM!"

It was Kurt.

Sam sometimes felt that no matter what happened to him, Kurt would always be there in one way or another. That felt nice. Safe.

He turned and found not only Kurt, but Blaine as well. And Sam was not happy with the unbridled amusement on Blaine's face. The prick hadn't even been slushied once since coming to McKinley, and if anybody deserved it, it was Anderson.

_Maybe he could arrange for that to happen._

"Hey, Kurt. Like my ensemble?"

"Why yes. I should take a picture and add it to my portfolio. Multi-colored ice is all the rage as an accessory this year. Need some help?" Kurt smiled.

"Kurt, we need to get to class." Blaine pulled at his arm, but Kurt resisted.

"Class can wait for a bit. I've never let a slushied friend stay slushied for long, and I'm not starting now."

"Kurt, Sam's not a baby. He can take care of himself," Blaine whined.

Kurt looked at him pointedly, "And neither are you. You can go to class by yourself if you're so worried about being late."

Blaine stalked off and disappeared into a room at the end of the hall.

"Man he gets pissed off easily," Sam marveled.

"Yes, he does. Now, come on." Kurt grabbed his arm and led him to the nearest girls' bathroom.

"This is the girls' bathroom."

"You are very observant. Girls' bathrooms are usually jock-free bathrooms, which is why they are designated slushie-removal centers." Kurt dropped his belongings and left the room.

He came back with a chair he'd apparently smuggled out of a nearby classroom and he put it in front of the nearest sink. He gestured for Sam to sit. "Lean your head back, and I'll wash it out of your hair."

Sam leaned back and closed his eyes. This could be interesting.

Funny.

He'd been slushied twice over Mercedes and she'd just walked away with her boyfriend. Kurt found him slushied, and it had nothing to do with him, but he had still risked pissing off his boyfriend to help Sam. Because he was Kurt, not Mercedes.

Sam bit back a moan when Kurt's fingers entwined in his hair.

This could be interesting, but this could also be bad. Sam fidgeted and tried to focus on something else besides Kurt's touch. He heard the tap turn on, and Kurt began palming water over Sam's hair.

"Stop fidgeting," Kurt whispered.

"Sorry."

"Don't be nervous. It won't hurt too bad," Kurt added.

_Oh shit_.

God damned stupid freak of a mother effing memory.

"You said that on purpose," Sam whispered in accusation.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

"_Don't be nervous, Kurt." Sam came closer and closer to Kurt, and Kurt backed further and further away until he was flush up against the motel door. _

"_Sam," Kurt said softly. _

_God he loved to hear Kurt say his name. Nobody else ever said his name with such reverence and in such a sexy come-get-me voice. He was already fighting the urge to jump him. He should really know not to say it that way._

"_Kurt." Sam reached for him with one hand to cup his face. The other hand became the brace for Sam's weight as he leaned into Kurt. Sam used his fingers to stroke the side of Kurt's jaw, but he didn't kiss him. He wanted Kurt to kiss him first. It was ridiculous, but he wanted Kurt to admit that he wanted this just as much. So that tomorrow, Kurt couldn't say he hadn't participated fully._

_Sam's mouth hovered over Kurt's jawline, and he just breathed him in, loving the scent of his cologne._

"_Kiss me, Kurt. It won't hurt too bad." _

_And Kurt lunged off the door at him._

xoxoxoxoxoxox

"SAM. Stop. Whatever you're thinking that put that indecent smile on your face, you can just stop thinking it."

Sam opened his eyes to find Kurt's eyes all but glazed over as he stared at Sam. Kurt had stopped running water over his hair.

"Hi, almost done?"

"Um. No. I got distracted." Kurt poured some shampoo into his hand and started working his hands through Sam's hair.

"Yea, so did I. How many times did you say my name?" Sam leaned back and closed his eyes again.

"Three, why?"

"I figured. You always get this certain tone when you have to say it that many times. It's kind of hot."

"Shut up."

Sam chuckled. "Yes, sir. Continue please."

Sam closed his eyes again and sighed at the memory, and he lost himself in the feeling of Kurt washing the ice and rainbow colors out of his hair.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

_Sam had Kurt's shirt unbuttoned and hanging off him within minutes. He pressed his lips against Kurt's sternum, and he stopped to listen to Kurt breathe. Even Kurt's breathing was sexy. How was that even possible? Kurt pushed him backwards towards the bed, and Sam's knees gave out under him. He landed with a thump, but he turned quickly and pulled Kurt under him. _

"_Sam, touch me."_

"_Yes, sir." Sam curled one hand around Kurt's arm and slid it down to his hand, where he entwined his fingers with Kurt's. Then he took Kurt's hand and placed it behind Sam's neck. _

_Sam leaned over and kissed Kurt again, and he realized that the sound of Kurt's moan would one day be the death of him. Sam peeled off his own shirt and threw it to the side. _

_Kurt gripped the back of Sam's neck and arched into him. "Sam… oh.." _

"_You are so eloquent when you're aroused." Sam whispered._

"_Shut up," Kurt laughed. _

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Sam," Kurt began.

"Shhhhh," Sam whispered. "My brain is too busy to listen to you right now."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

_Sam's hands unbuckled Kurt's belt and pants, and Kurt help to get himself wiggled out of them. _

"_If I'd known you were going commando, you wouldn't have made it through our conversation before I had you on this bed," Sam's fingers stroked Kurt's cock gently._

_Kurt moaned, "It's the pants... too tight. Oh god… Sam." _

_Sam's tongue trailed down Kurt's chest while one hand threaded into Kurt's hair. The other kept kneading Kurt's erection. "Sam will do, you know. Since you don't believe in God anyway," Sam mocked gently._

"_Sam, shut up." _

"_Okay," he breathed. And he took Kurt's cock into his mouth in one sweeping motion. Sam sucked and his tongue swirled back and forth across the tip. Kurt arched into his mouth, and Sam started thinking that having Kurt fuck his mouth was the best idea he'd had in ages. _

_Kurt's moans were disjointed combinations of swear words and Sam's name, with a few more references to non-existent deities. It was music to Sam's ears. He worked his mouth up and down while one hand held the base of Kurt's cock. _

"_Sam, stop!" _

"_Why?" Sam breathed._

"_I was going to come."_

"_Yea, I know. And that would be bad, why?"_

"_Because I don't want to come... yet." Kurt panted._

"_Well, I don't really care what you want right now. I'm going to make you fuck my mouth, and you will come, and you will like it, and even if you don't, which I very much doubt will happen, I'm still going to swallow you whole right now. So stop arguing and go back to moaning my name." Sam licked the skin covering Kurt's hip and smiled against his body. _

"_Oh, god."_

"_Um. Excuse me. I said MY name," he reminded before placing a kiss on the skin of Kurt's inner thigh. _

"_Oh, Sam."_

"_That's better," Sam breathed. A compliant Kurt was a very sexy Kurt, he decided._

"_Sam?"_

"_Yes?" Sam looked up to find Kurt staring at him._

"_Continue please."_

"_With pleasure."_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"SAMUEL EVANS!" Kurt turned off the tap water and threw a towel at Sam.

Sam opened his eyes and grinned wickedly. "What?"

"You can just stop thinking about whatever it is you are thinking about that caused _that_!" Kurt gestured towards Sam's growing erection and tightened pants.

Sam met Kurt's stare with his own, and he licked his lips. Kurt's eyes dropped to Sam's lips, just as Sam knew he'd do, and Sam blatantly adjusted his jeans to accommodate the growing pressure.

"You can't make me stop thinking about it, and really, I'm not sure you'd want to once you found out what it was."

"What was it?" Kurt clapped a hand over his mouth, and Sam laughed. He loved how Kurt never could keep his mouth shut around Sam. It made for delicious conversation.

"I knew you'd ask. You can't _not_ ask. It's like in your DNA or something," Sam grabbed Kurt's hand and laced their fingers together.

"Never mind. I don't want to know." Kurt pried his hand loose and grabbed Sam's bag. "You should get out your spare clothes and wear those. That shirt may be ruined."

"I am wearing my spare clothes. I got thrown in the dumpster earlier."

Kurt gasped, "WHAT?"

"Shane and his buddies put me there," Sam shrugged. "I'll have to wear my first set of clothes that I changed out of earlier."

Kurt's eyes flashed with anger, "Of course they did. Bastards."

"Kurt, it's fine. It was my fault anyway."

"I heard. Seriously? What possessed you to do that?"

What _had_ possessed him?

Sam peeled off his wet shirt and used some paper towels to finish off the slushie mess on his shoulders and neck. He still felt slightly sticky from the sugar in the drink, but he wasn't multi-colored anymore. And his hair was clean and smelled like Kurt.

Kurt whispered something as he walked over to his messenger bag and picked it up, but Sam couldn't make out what he said.

"What, Kurt?"

"Nothing. Here." He thrust out a shirt that he'd dug out of his bag. It was a light blue shirt with an Avatar theme. Along the edges and collar were phrases written in Na'vi.

It was _Sam's_ shirt.

"Kurt?" Sam stared at the shirt being offered to him. "How?"

"Sam, just take it. I brought it the day after you got slushied for joining the swim team. It's been in my bag ever since. I wasn't sure you'd remember to bring a change of clothes since you'd been gone so long. At least this way, you'll be able to wear something clean even if you have to wear dirty jeans."

Sam took the shirt and pulled it over his head.

"But how?"

"Just drop it."

"Kurt, how?"

"I took it alright! When I left the motel that night, I took your shirt with me," he snapped. "When you were wandering around the room looking for it, I just… took it. I don't want to hear any shit about it, okay?"

"You've had it all this time?" Sam floundered.

"Yes, now shut up about it because you've got it back."

Sam didn't know what to say next.

"What did you whisper when you went to get this? I know you said something, but I couldn't hear it."

"Sam, I don't want to talk about this. I'm leaving." Kurt grabbed his bag again and shouldered it.

Sam grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him backwards slightly. "Please tell me." Kurt teetered for a moment when he got off balance, but he stopped resisting the tug of Sam's hand.

"All I said was that I wished you'd make up your fucking mind for once," Kurt answered without the anger that his words should have carried. He glanced at Sam with sadness and walked out the door.

Then he thought about Kurt's earlier question, about what had possessed him to go after Mercedes today. Then he thought about it from Kurt's perspective. How his behavior might look to Kurt.

And he'd been acting like a two-timing slut, he'd decided. That's what had possessed him. He wanted Kurt, but he couldn't have Kurt, so he'd been publicly going after Mercedes.

No wonder Kurt didn't want him.

Was this how he'd looked to Kurt when he'd kissed him and then turned around and gave Quinn a promise ring?

Damn. He really was an idiot.

No wonder Kurt didn't trust him.

He'd been doing exactly what Kurt was afraid he would do. Kurt had even told him about it after they'd kissed the first time. He plainly told Sam that he was afraid Sam would mess around with him and then turn around and go after a girl.

God, he was fucked up. And he'd fucked up what could have been the best thing that had ever happened to him. And now Kurt would never want him back.

Because Kurt had Blaine now.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt had decided that there really was a God after all.

Because this. This was hell. And in order for hell to exist, then quite obviously God was up there cackling at Kurt. Why not? Let's just do everything we can to make Kurt's life as miserable as possible. That was fair.

Kurt was a horrible person.

It was the only explanation for this situation. His karma had come to reap its vengeance.

He had not been in the mood for a damn sleepover to begin with, not tonight. Kurt was still shaken from his encounter with Sam, and he was afraid he would snap on someone. Mass murder at a sleepover may be good for the headline news, but he figured the admissions people at Kent State would frown on it. They would definitely rescind his scholarship if Kurt was arrested for the bloody disembowelment of the people in this room with him.

Kurt looked around his bedroom in disbelief. All the females of New Directions had decided to come tonight. Normally, his sleepovers only included, in some combination, Mercedes, Brittany, Rachel and Tina. Santana had invited herself so she could sneak off and molest Brittany later on tonight. And then Tina had suggested that they invite Quinn so that she wouldn't feel left out. Sugar hadn't yet made it into Kurt's circle of friends, but she had been invited. She'd turned Kurt down, and that was just fine with him.

Having Quinn and Rachel in the same room had been _such_ an excellent idea.

And all of them were very, very drunk. Yay for Kurt!

Kurt was currently in the same room with all three of Sam's ex-girlfriends and his own boyfriend had texted him saying he was going to hang out at Dalton. _Again_.

So, Kurt had one boy that was driving him insane because Kurt wanted him so badly. And Kurt had a boyfriend who was driving him insane because _he_ wanted someone else. Lovely.

And then the girls had decided that it was boyfriend-bashing time.

Drunken boyfriend bashing. Woo!

Kurt decided that no matter how much he hated alcohol, he was in desperate need of a drink. He reached over and grabbed a wine cooler that Tina had smuggled into the house. He had refused Santana's offer of a beer earlier, but this discussion was in need of some liquid courage. And he wasn't even participating. He was just a sounding board.

They'd started on Mike when Tina brought up her issues with his choice of dates. Apparently, chicken feet were involved, and Kurt really did not want to know how. Kurt had watched in horror as Tina railed into all of Mike's idiosyncrasies that drove her insane. The girls nodded in agreement and were in total support of her.

Poor Mike. Kurt would take him shopping this weekend. It's not like Kurt knew anything else to do to make him feel better. He was definitely not dancing with him. Kurt snorted aloud and waved away the girls' attention that had drawn his way.

When Kurt attempted to interject some of Mike's positive aspects, Tina's glare had tamped down his urge to do so again.

Kurt had to agree with some of the comments when they started in on Puck. But they were so vicious! Seriously, Kurt would give up his bitch title tomorrow. Obviously he had nothing on these women when they got together. Santana, Britt and Quinn started with a verbal castration of Puck's sexual prowess that had Kurt blanching. Then Rachel's tirade on his lack of involvement in his faith began.

Kurt wasn't exactly Puck's biggest fan, but _damn_. These females were ruthless. Kurt would take him shopping too and help him pick out something for Beth. He may not be the best role model for heterosexuality, but Puck loved his daughter. Kurt wasn't even bashing him, but he still felt strangely guilty for just listening to their tirade about the boy.

Oh, Yay! Kurt's wandering thoughts had caught up with Tina and Brittany's conversation.

They had moved on to Artie, and they were complaining about his tendency to treat girls as if they were stupid. Apparently, this had happened to Tina, too. Kurt was torn between defending his friend and agreeing with Tina. Artie had said some hateful things to her and Britt. But they'd also treated him badly.

If he actually defended Artie, would Tina and Santana tear his limbs off? Santana was capable, he knew. Tina had the venom behind it but no muscle. Santana had the muscle.

But he was sure Brittany wouldn't let her do it. At least, he hoped Britt would stop her. But then again, Kurt had pissed her off during the election, so maybe she _would_ sacrifice him to the wolves. So he decided to keep quiet for his own safety.

He'd never been so quiet in his own home before. It was frightening.

"What do you girls say about me when I'm not here?" Kurt took a sip of his wine cooler.

"Nothing. Well, usually we'd be complaining that you weren't here. We love _you_."

Kurt was touched by the looks of agreement on their faces, but he was still a bit afraid.

They let Mercedes complain about Shane for a while, but her attempts weren't very passionate. Maybe he wasn't as bad a boyfriend as some of the other guys were. She didn't seem to be as angry about him as the other girls had been.

Apparently Rory was safe tonight since he hadn't dated any of them. Kurt was proud that Rory had managed to escape their clutches. He'd take him shopping for new clothes too. Once Kurt had seen how much Rory adored Britt, he'd been ready to practically adopt the little mini-Kurt.

Kurt interrupted once they started on Finn.

"NO. I will not listen to any sexual references about my brother, and going there will lead to issues between some of you, and there will be no blood shed in my room. Besides, I'd have to report everything you said right back to him. It's some kind of rule I was given after the wedding. Something involving bros and hoes. I don't even know. It sounded ridiculous at the time."

The girls burst out laughing, but they agreed to postpone the Finn bashing until they were in a Kurt-free environment. Kurt sat back, leaning against the bed, and closed his eyes. This was going to go on all night. He just knew it.

"The Na'vi is ridiculous, and he actually thinks it's charming," Quinn snarled.

Kurt's eyes shot open and he glared at Quinn.

Santana smirked at him, and one of her eyebrows rose in satisfaction.

_Shit_. Kurt knew with three of his exes in the room, there was no way the conversation wasn't going to get around to Sam. Kurt squeezed his eyes shut again and willed them to drop it.

_No. The Na'vi is beautiful, you idiot_, he thought.

"Oh, my god. I know. It was so irritating. And those impressions!" Santana added. "He acts like such an idiot sometimes."

_Stop_. _Sam is adorable and so very smart. You just can't see that_ _because you're all fucking blind_.

Kurt knew if he opened his mouth, he'd lose it. He'd tear all three of them apart, and then they'd know. They'd all know, and then life as he knew it would be over.

_Geez. Kurt. Dramatic much? _

He finished off the wine cooler and grabbed a second. Was there something stronger in the kitchen? He might risk another wine spewing episode if the consumption itself would help him get through this night.

"And the dates are always so boring and, well, kind of cheap," Mercedes added, and any feelings of affection Kurt still had for her wilted. When Quinn chimed in agreement, Kurt's temper flared.

"Well did he properly apologize for using his rather limited salary to help his parents take care of his brother and sister instead of paying for _your _expensive dates? I'm sure all of you gave him enough hell for it that he would have felt it necessary," Kurt stated coldly.

Mercedes, Quinn and Santana gawked at him. Santana looked strangely pleased.

"You three are unbelievable. Go ahead and criticize Mike, Puck and whoever the hell you want for their _decisions_—for their _behavior_. But when it comes to bitching about Sam for things he has no control over, you cross the line. It was not Sam's fault that his father lost his job and the family lost their fucking house. But does that matter? No, because he couldn't afford to take you out and spend money on you every weekend. That's what was important."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mercedes shouted.

"I'm tired of all of you and how you're always dragging him down! He doesn't deserve it!"

"You don't know anything about Sam, Kurt," Quinn sneered.

Really.

_He_ knew nothing about Sam. _His Sam_. That was priceless.

"I know that he tries so hard to be accepted that he'll give up things he really wants so somebody will think he's a good person. I know that he is smart, smarter than any of you give him credit for. I know that he has an incredible memory for details, and if you just give him a phrase, he can replay entire conversations for you on demand. I know that he's the most accepting person on this planet, except when it comes to himself. And none of you have ever given him anything but shit since he moved here."

"Kurt," Santana got up and came towards him, but he held out a hand to stop her.

"No. It's true. Quinn played around with him, refusing to make a fucking decision over him, and then cheated on him. Santana, you have made him feel so bad about himself sometimes that I just want to slap the shit out of you over it. And Mercedes," he turned on her. "You were supposed to be his friend. You knew he was going to get slushied the other day, and you didn't even warn him. Even if you don't want to be with him, you shouldn't have done that. That was a bitchy move, even for you."

"How did you know that?" She whispered.

"I have my sources." Jacob Ben Israel could be good for something every now and then. "Ben Israel caught the football team on video planning that, and he brought it to me before he posted it. If even _he_ sees something as a douche move, that's saying something. And I saw you there, and you looked like you were involved in the conversation. I was hoping that you weren't involved in the planning, but I don't even know you anymore, so you may have been. You knew it was going to happen, and you just let him get hit."

"Well, you dumped him during the duet competition," Quinn remarked sarcastically.

_Oh, so we're going to go there, are we_? He'd never actually told anyone what Finn had said to him that week, and he had refused to tell Sam out of sheer pride.

"And would you like to know why?" Kurt rounded on her in fury. She paled at the look on his face.

Kurt started after her, but Rachel put a hand on his arm. "Kurt, calm down."

"Your precious Finn is the one that had me break off my duet with Sam, Quinn." He glanced at Rachel to include her in this part, even though his anger wasn't focused on her. She'd had a part in it too.

"The same Finn that you and Rachel believe is so damn accepting. He told me that if I sang with Sam, I'd be painting a target on his back. He then proceeded to inform me that I had been all over him during sophomore year, which was not true. He said my behavior, which in my defense, included singing a song to him and attempting to help him remove his make-up, was enough to justify a restraining order had he done that to a girl. I was accused of being a soon-to-be rapist because he said I didn't understand that no means no."

Rachel gasped, but he ignored her to continue.

"And when I reminded him that I only wanted to _sing_ with Sam, I was informed that I didn't give a damn about anybody in Glee club if I chose to do so. He also used the word faggy multiple times to describe the redecorated bedroom that we were to share if the Hudsons had moved in with us. At that point, my father had heard enough and kicked him out."

Kurt glanced over to Rachel and added, "The worst part wasn't even Finn. Finn told Carole his side of the story regarding my crush on him, which is skewed data of course, and then Carole told Dad. So Dad sided with Finn over the Sam duet. Dad suggested that I was taking advantage of Sam. That discussion was the final nail in the Kurt-Sam duet coffin. So I told Sam he could sing with someone else."

"I'm sorry." It was Rachel.

"Sorry for what?"

"I helped Finn convince Sam to sing with Quinn. Well, actually it was my idea." Rachel looked ashamed of herself. "My part in it was convincing Quinn to sing with him. Finn worked on Sam. We decided that we had to make Sam stay in Glee club. But I had no idea Finn would do that."

"Oh, my god. That was _your_ fault?" Santana yelled at Rachel. "Do you know what he said to Sam? He told Sam that singing with Kurt would get him _killed_."

"What? Finn said what?" Kurt stopped and stared at her.

"He told Sam that he shouldn't sing with you because even though _he_ didn't have a problem with gay guys, the world did. And that singing with you would get Sam killed."

He turned back to Quinn and Mercedes. "So do you see now? He was _still_ willing to put up with that and sing with me. I gave that up to protect him, and I'll do it again. So don't you dare start bringing that shit up with me because you have no fucking clue what I'd do for him."

"Kurt," Rachel rubbed his arm comfortingly, but he could barely feel it. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Mercedes, Quinn, I'd appreciate it if you would leave. I'm too angry to put up with you right now. The rest of you are welcome to stay and get slobbering drunk with me."

"Kurt, I can't believe that you'd do this to me," Mercedes whined.

"Right. Of course you can't. Because this is all about you."

He shook his head sadly and continued saying words he'd always figured he'd keep bottled inside him for the remainder of his sad Sam-free existence.

"I can't believe that I gave him up for you. But you know what? You can be happy now. You can have Shane and his popularity, and have Sam pining over you. Just like you want. Because you win. Despite everything that's happened, he obviously still wants you. Even though you really don't deserve him. So get out, please. I'm done with all of this."

Kurt watched Mercedes and Quinn leave. Mercedes glared at him before walking out the door, but she said nothing. It's funny. In the beginning, he tried so hard to keep her from getting hurt, and it turns out that he should have been worried about her hurting Sam. Well, no. It wasn't funny. It was sad.

"You love him, don't you?" Tina's small, quiet voice shattered him.

"_Yes_," he broke down within seconds of the admission and sank to the floor. He took a few moments to gather himself. He leaned back against the foot of his bed and gestured for them to huddle around him.

"Commence your questioning," he commanded with a royal wave.

"For how long?" Santana asked, and then she added, "it's about time you admitted it, by the way."

"Since forever I think," he gave a watery smile. "He kissed me last year. It was after I met Blaine but before I went to Dalton. Then he got confused and all honorable again, because he'd been dating Quinn for a few weeks. He and I talked, and he decided to see how it would work out with her."

"And that went so well," Santana bitched.

"That was the first time I gave him up. He was faithful to her from that point on, and he's part of the reason I was so ready to go to Dalton. I couldn't stand to watch them together. I felt like an experiment to him." Kurt wiped the tears away and Brittany snuggled up beside him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"After Quinn, I was already at Dalton. I was tired of wanting guys who either don't want me at all or just want someone else more. So I decided to go after Blaine. He was safe, because he was gay. Even though I knew he didn't feel anything for me at first. And it shouldn't have been that way. I'm tired of always being the chaser, but I suppose I'll never be the chase-ee. Not in Lima anyway. I shouldn't have even tried with Blaine. We aren't right for each other. And he's not Sam."

"What did you mean by _the first time_ you gave him up?" Tina asked.

"Okay, but this doesn't leave this room. Deal?"

The girls nodded in unspoken agreement.

"I slept with Sam. Last year. It was during the time his family was staying at that motel."

"So those rumors were true?" Santana smirked.

"Just the ones about me. Not Quinn."

"But you said you weren't cheating on Blaine." Rachel reasoned.

"Actually Rachel, if you'll remember correctly, I refused to answer your question. In fact, in true Hummel style, I changed the subject on you. It was Sam who denied it. But he has a different perspective on it."

"How so?" She looked half scandalized and half intrigued.

"Because from Sam's point of view, I was cheating on _him_ with Blaine. Not the other way around. I'd been with Sam longer. In fact, I slept with Sam before I slept with Blaine, so as far as he's concerned, I was _his_ first. Even though he wasn't really mine. Don't try to understand it. It's Sam-logic." He smiled. "He has always been so damn irresistible, but I swear I tried. I never let myself be alone with him after he decided to date Quinn and I didn't have the chance to be alone with him while he dated you, Satan. I'm sorry. I need to stop calling you that."

"It's okay. It suits me." She grinned at him.

"Then when I transferred back, he was always there. And I didn't have Blaine as a buffer. He would catch me alone in the halls and kiss me. It drove me crazy. I wanted him, but he was always between girlfriends, and it never seemed like I was anything more than an experiment to him. I'd like to say that he seduced me in that motel room, but I'd be lying. I went there knowing that I was capable of doing that to Blaine."

Britt snuggled into his chest even further and smiled at him. "I sort of thought Sam might be a dolphin."

"I don't think so Britt. Not a dolphin."

"Kurt, Sam told me he's bi," Santana said quietly. "So, do you want him back? Because you realize I was only saying those things to get a reaction out of you, right?"

"Yes, I realized you were baiting me, but they weren't. I can't say yes or no to getting him back because I never actually had him. And just a few days ago, he publicly announced that he was going to try to get Mercedes back. So what's the point in me even hoping for it?"

"But you weren't available at the time," Rachel pointed out.

"It was over between us by the time we went to Nationals. I had Blaine, and he decided that he was attracted to Mercedes. So we talked again while we were in New York, and I told him to go for it. I knew he wasn't going to just be with me, and if he was with Mercedes, then I would have a good reason to avoid him. So he decided to pursue her when we got back."

Kurt bit back a sob. "And then we got back from New York, and Blaine and I were sitting in the Lima Bean, and Blaine just blurts out that he loves me. I nearly choked on my coffee. I hesitated to say it because I knew I didn't really mean it. But I said it anyway. And then Sam walks in with Mercedes, and I had to start pretending all over again."

"Oh, Kurt," Rachel leaned forward and hugged him.

"And that's how we left things… until he moved to Kentucky. Then. Well, then it was just…._bad_. I kind of fell apart. Blaine wanted to have sex with me but I wasn't ready. I let him continue to think it was because I was a virgin. I never actually said it back before we started dating, but he assumed it, and I just let him."

"Okay, Lady Face, answer the question. Do you want him back?"

"I've actually been thinking about this for days. I'm tired of always being the one to fall for someone first and have that love thrown back in my face. I'm not going to chase Sam. I'm not going to lie and say that I don't want him. But I'm not going to stand around and always be someone's second or third or even fourth choice. I don't deserve that. I deserve someone who wants me. Maybe that will be Sam, and maybe it won't. But I'm not going to chase him down and force him to love me. But I do know that I'm going to talk to Blaine and break up with him. He deserves a chance to see if he can have something with Sebastian. God knows Sebastian wants it enough for both of them."

Britt hugged him gently. "You deserve the best unicorn in the world. Sometimes bicurious unicorns are the best. I should know, since I am one." She smiled brightly.

"Sweetie, I think Satan will agree that you are the ultimate of all the bicurious unicorns."


	6. Chapter 6

"Trouty Mouth, you are a fucking idiot."

Santana skirted around him and pushed Sam gently up against his locker. She leaned back against the wall at his left side, and she glared up and down the hall.

Sam leaned back and sighed, "I already know that Satan. Anything new to report?"

"You look like shit," she smirked at him.

Sam rolled his eyes as his head lolled towards her. "Gee. Thanks."

"Wanna talk about it?" Santana nudged him and the smirk had vanished.

They'd become pretty good friends once they'd decided that they weren't meant to be anything more than that. Santana was easy to talk to once she stopped insulting you. If she stopped. Sometimes her compelling need to take other people down a peg or two couldn't be restrained.

She'd also helped him learn a lot of things about himself during the time they'd dated. A lot of things.

It wasn't an unpleasant experience letting Santana Lopez teach you all about being kinky. The girl had major skills in that department. The sex had been was good, because after all, this was Santana Lopez. The sex couldn't be horrible even if she tried to make it that way.

And she was the only person who knew about Kurt. "No, not really."

"Why are you embarrassing yourself over Jones?" Santana got straight to the point as always, but gratefully, her normal derision wasn't there.

"Because I'm a fucking idiot, remember?" Sam glared at her.

"Do you even realize how bad you fucked this up?" Santana replied dismissively.

"I have a rough idea."

"No, I don't think you do. Come on." She grabbed his hand and tugged him into the nearest empty classroom.

Great. He hoped Kurt hadn't seen that, because he'd think Sam was in an empty room for Santana for a whole different reason. And he didn't need to screw up anymore.

"How bad is it?" Sam sank into the nearest seat.

"Sam. I'm going to assume that you aren't as smart as Kurt says you are. So I'm going to explain this to you clearly. You. Are. Fucked."

"Thanks, Satan. That's helpful." Sam looked up at her with resentment.

"Sam. It's not just that you couldn't make up your mind about Kurt before you lost him. That's just the beginning of your problem. Now that you've been acting like an idiot, you've done something you don't even realize."

"What? Santana! I'm not a genius here. I can't fix something that I don't know is broken!"

"You have spent the entire time you've been back publicly chasing a girl who won't have you. And now, if you give that up and go after Kurt, do you have any idea what that will look like, to not just him, but the whole school?"

Sam groaned. "He'll look like some kind of a consolation prize. Like I only went after him because I couldn't have Mercedes."

_Shit_. When the reality was that he only went after Mercedes because he couldn't have Kurt. Nobody at this damn school would care. They'd see what Sam's ridiculous behavior had led them to see.

_Dammit_. The school would never leave them alone. There would always be rumors about them. Sam's reputation was in tatters already, and Kurt's was on a thin line simply because of who he was. Kurt would never be free of the concern that he was Sam's second choice, and it would always hurt him.

"Fuck_."_

"Ah. You aren't as dense as I thought. Do you really think that Kurt hasn't realized that? He's proud. He's proud because he has to be. It's one of the only traits that keeps him sane at this school. But he's very loyal to the people he cares about. You know that."

Yes, he was. Sam considered himself very lucky to be in that small group of people. Even though Sam really hadn't done much to deserve it.

"Yes, he is. Even when you don't deserve it."

"Kurt thinks you do. Deserve it, I mean," Santana smiled at him.

"How do you know?" Sam asked but didn't really expect her to answer.

"I have my sources. In the form of Glee girls' sleepovers that is. In fact, we had a very interesting one this past weekend."

"Shit! Were Mercedes and Quinn there?" Sam's hand draped over his face. "Please say no."

"Can't really do that. Cause they were there."

"Did they say anything?" Sam's eyes flashed with annoyance.

"It was interesting, that's for sure," Santana swished over to a desk and sat down on it, crossing her legs with grace. "Angry Kurt came out. It was beautiful."

"Oh, god. I don't think I even want to know what they did."

_Angry Kurt_ was even sexier than _Compliant Kurt_. Sam had never seen anything as sexy as Kurt laying into him over something stupid he'd done. Unfortunately, Kurt had given up on him, and he hadn't seen that side of Kurt in a long time.

But god. _Angry Kurt_. He moaned involuntarily.

_Focus, Evans_. "Will you tell me what happened?"

"I can't. That's not my job. It's your job to talk to Kurt and straighten out what you've screwed up."

"I can't do that. It doesn't matter whether or not I want Kurt. He wants Blaine."

Santana snorted. "Yea, right." Without elaborating, she swished out of the room.

He stared after her in confusion. She sounded as if she didn't believe that Kurt wanted Blaine. Was that true? That couldn't possibly be true. Blaine was who Kurt wanted because Blaine was gay. Sam could never be enough for Kurt because of his history with girls. Right?

Sam continued to sit and stare at the open door. What was he going to do now?

xoxoxoxoxoxox

"Hey Sam, can I talk to you?" Mercedes caught him after English and stopped in front of him nervously.

Sam backed up and looked down the hall for the other members of her new entourage that were sure to be watching, waiting to see if he'd make a move on Shane's girl.

"They're not here, Sam. Just me." Mercedes smiled hesitantly and nodded towards the Astronomy room door. "In there maybe?"

Okay, so the team would be in there. That's what was going on. They'd ambush him and leave him to die in the Astronomy room. Sam glanced toward the door with hesitation.

"Geez. Paranoid much?" Mercedes teased. "They aren't waiting in there to beat you up either."

"Okay, but what's this about?" Sam asked, but he followed her into the room.

Once he was perched on a desk, he shifted, and his back was to the door. He glanced around to make sure Shane's friends weren't coming up behind him, and then he got comfortable.

"Shane's not coming. I asked for a chance to talk to you, and he agreed. He thinks I'm going to talk some sense into you about backing off." Mercedes dropped her books off onto a desk and stepped closer to him.

"Stop." Sam held his hand up. "You just stay right there."

"Sam, I'm not going to do anything to you. I just want to talk." Mercedes crossed her arms indignantly.

"Okay, talk." Sam gestured for her to continue.

"I owe you an apology," she smiled hesitantly.

"For?"

"Well, one, for knowing about the slushie plan and doing nothing to stop it," she said. "Kurt got on to me for that this weekend, and I realized that he was right. I did know. And I could have told you what Shane and the team were planning, and I didn't. That wasn't right."

"And yet, you didn't consider apologizing until Kurt called you out?" Sam narrowed his eyes. She wasn't going to sweet talk herself out of this.

"Well, I'll admit it did take him chewing me out to decide to apologize, but I knew it was a low thing to do from the beginning, and I'm sorry."

"Okay, but you said _for one_, so what else are you apologizing for?"

"I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance earlier this year. When you said you wanted me back." Mercedes smiled as she stepped closer. "I should have. You are a very sweet guy, and you meant a lot to me."

"Mercedes, stop. I'm done chasing you. I…."

"Maybe you don't have to chase anymore," she interrupted, and her hand caught his.

He pulled away gently and folded his arms together in front of him. "Mercedes, I also need to apologize to you."

She blinked up at him, and her mouth opened in confusion. Her head tilted to the side briefly, and she asked "For what?"

"I went after you when I shouldn't have. I went after you because the person who I really want to be with isn't available. That's not fair to you."

"But you went after me, and _I'm_ not available either."

"I can't argue with you there. My sense of logic is sometimes convoluted. But there is a history of hurt between me and that person, and I don't think it's something I can fix. There is no history of that with you." Until today anyway. He was sure that wall would be there now.

"So, you went after me because you can't have Kurt?"

Sam's mouth dropped open, and he cursed the fact that he'd given it away so easily. "Yes." Truth was good. He needed to start telling it more, so he might as well start practicing now.

"I see," her eyes glinted in what he thought was anger. She glanced at her watch, and smiled strangely.

"Well, I guess we should get back to class. Could I have a hug?" She sidled up next to him and spread her arms. "We're good right?"

Sam allowed her to scoop him into a hug, and she buried her face in his neck. She held him tightly, and he pulled away after mere moments. Well, he tried to pull away, but she had some sort of Vulcan death grip on him. "Cedes, let go," he whispered.

"Mercedes, why did you want me to come _here_ of all places?" A voice called out as footsteps echoed in the room. Kurt's voice.

Kurt. _Shit_.

Mercedes stepped back, and Sam saw it. The look of satisfaction on her face was vicious. She had set him up. And this had nothing to do with Sam and everything to do with Kurt.

"Oh, god. Sorry. I didn't know," Kurt whispered behind him.

Sam turned around and the look on Kurt's face killed him. "Kurt, wait."

"Um. No. I don't think I will." Kurt was crestfallen. Tears were surfacing, but Sam knew Kurt would never let them fall. Not right now.

Kurt bolted from the room, and Sam spun on Mercedes. "You bitch."

Mercedes shrugged. "I'm not as much of a bitch as he is. I was hoping he'd walk in on you kissing me, but I guess that worked just as well." She smiled with forced sweetness and left the room.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sam ran through the hallway, against the current of students, and darted through the holes left in the crowd as students filed into classrooms. He ignored calls from teachers along the way.

Where would he go? Choir room? Auditorium? Then he realized he knew where Kurt might be. Sam raced to the auditorium and shot up the steps.

"Kurt?" Sam found him standing at the mirror back stage. Their mirror.

"Sam, go away." Kurt didn't turn around.

"No. Not till you listen to me."

"There's nothing to explain, Sam. There never has been. That's what we're all about." Kurt sat on the edge of the table, and he swung his legs back and forth in front of him.

"Do you realize she set that up?" Sam stood next to the table and leaned his hip against it.

"Yes. I realized that immediately. She can be vicious sometimes. I should know. I've taught her almost all of her skills. It still hurt."

"She asked me in there because she convinced me that she needed to apologize. She told me about you going off on her over the slushie incident. She sounded really sincere about it. I didn't realize what was going on until she stopped hugging me. Then I saw the look on her face."

"Ah. Yes. Her _I won_ expression. It's a good one." Kurt wouldn't look at him, and that was almost worse that what he might see if he did. "I should have known. Sugar told me that Mercedes wanted to talk to me about what happened this past weekend. I should have realized that there was something wrong with that because I'd seen Quinn talking to Sugar earlier this morning."

"What did happen this weekend?"

"My control broke." Kurt looked up at him.

He'd been wrong. Kurt looking up at him _was_ worse. Because Sam could see all the pain in Kurt's beautiful eyes, and it wasn't just because of what Mercedes had done. Kurt's pain was cumulative, and it continued to spread with every wrong move Sam made. No matter what Sam did, he only seemed to ever make it worse for Kurt.

"I'm sorry." Sam's voice wavered. "All I ever seem to do is hurt you."

"That's not true. There are times when you've made me very, very happy too. One time happened in this very room, actually."

Sam smiled, and he maneuvered himself in front of Kurt. Kurt's legs spread almost involuntarily, and Sam stepped between them. He grabbed Kurt's hips and slid him closer. Kurt didn't object, but that didn't make Sam feel any more confident about it.

"I've missed this. I've missed you." Sam whispered and wrapped his arms around Kurt.

Kurt dropped his forehead onto Sam's shoulder. "I m-miss you too."

"Look at me, Kurt."

Kurt did as he'd asked, and Sam's stomach flipped. Kurt was so beautiful it made Sam's chest ache sometimes.

"Give me a chance to fix this." Sam was not above begging. Not anymore.

"I can't," he whispered. "It hurts too much. I'm tired of being in second place, Sam. I have been thinking about that for weeks now, and I finally figured one thing out. I've been angry at Blaine for something that isn't his fault. I put Blaine in second place, too, because he'll never be you. I know how transparent I can be, so then I worry if Blaine can see how I feel about you because he's always angry at something. Mostly me. And then I think about him and Sebastian, and I wonder if I'm doing the same thing to them that I go through every day."

"What do you mean?"

"If Blaine feels about Sebastian the way I think he does, then he's just as tormented as me. That's not fair. So I'm going to break up with him today. But for that reason. Not to get you back."

"But…"

"Wait. Let me finish."

Sam wisely shut his mouth.

"Sam. I love you. I think I've loved you since I met you. But you have issues."

Sam nodded in agreement, but his heart skipped a beat to hear that Kurt actually loved him. Maybe he hadn't screwed this up completely.

"You are the most accepting person on this planet, and I've never met anyone like you. You truly have no prejudices against people over anything. Well, if you do have hidden ones, you do a very good job of keeping them secret. But the problem is that you don't accept _you_."

Well, Kurt had him there.

"You have unhealthy ideas about yourself. Like you need your body to be perfect, you need to be popular, you need to win, and you need people to like you. But you don't like yourself."

"Kurt," Sam interrupted. He was uncomfortable with where this discussion was going.

Kurt's eyes narrowed at him, and he shut his mouth again.

"Why Quinn? And I'm not talking about the duet. We were manipulated into ending that duet. I mean after you kissed me. Well, after I demanded that you kiss me," he corrected. "Tell me the real reason you wanted to make it work with Quinn. That wasn't just you being honorable."

"Because I'm not as brave as you are," he whispered. "I hate that I think so much about how I look to people. I hate that I'm afraid to be myself because I won't be popular. But part of it _was_ because I had asked her out first. That part is true."

"What about after she cheated on you?"

"You were gone."

"Dalton isn't on the other side of the country."

"You had Blaine."

"No, I didn't. Not then."

"You would have come back? For me?"

"Especially for you, Sam."

That phrase. Kurt had said those words, or variations of them, so many times.

_Especially you, Sam_. The day he'd admitted to liking jocks and Sam had kissed him.

_Especially Sam_. The day he'd fought Karofsky.

Sam remembered grinning that day in Glee when Kurt had sat down and thanked the guys who had stood up to Karofsky. He wasn't grinning because Mike had called him a leader. He was smiling because Kurt had said those words again, words so similar to the ones he'd whispered after they'd kissed.

_Especially you_. This time without his name, the night they'd made love.

And now. _Especially for you, Sam_. Sometimes his memory wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"There's another thing. It's why I ran out of the Astronomy room. It reminded me of how you acted around them. I hated watching you go after Quinn. And Mercedes. I'm very grateful though that I wasn't around when you went after Santana." Kurt admitted. "You're so good at looking like you don't feel anything at all for me. You make it look so easy when you're with them, and it scares me because sometimes it looks like you aren't acting."

"Kurt, it's not easy. I hate watching you with Blaine. I get mad because I don't think he treats you right, but then again, I didn't either, so I have no right to be angry. But it's definitely not easy."

He adjusted Kurt's arms to loosen his embrace. "Kurt, there's a song, one that I listen to every night, but I'll have to adjust the pronouns in it because it's a duet between a man and a woman. It's how I think of us. What I imagine you go through because I know what I go through."

"What's it called?"

"Easy. By Rascal Flatts and Natasha Bedingfield."

"Country. Of course," he smiled. "Go ahead."

Sam began to sing softly,

_We broke up. Yeah, it's tough._

_Most guys would have been crushed._

_Wasting. Their time._

_Wondering where they went wrong._

_No way. Not me._

_Hey I'm doing just fine._

_I'm not afraid of moving on._

_It's easy… going out on Friday night._

_Easy… every time I see him out…_

_I can smile, live it up, the way a single guy does…_

_But what he, what he don't know._

_Is how hard it is to make it look so easy…_

_The truth is. I miss. _

_Lying in those arms of his._

_But I don't ever let it show._

_I laugh and I act._

_Like I'm having the time of my life_

_As far as he knows._

_It's easy… going out on Friday night_

_Easy… every time I see him out…_

_I can smile, live it up, the way a single guy does…_

_But what he, what he don't know._

_Is how hard it is to make it look so easy…_

"The first half of it is how I see you. Moving on with Blaine, doing just fine, and the second half is me. Missing you, never letting it show, acting like I'm having the time of my life."

"Sad. And fitting for us. Much better than Red Solo Cup, I'll give you that." Kurt laughed softly. "But, honestly Sam, the pronoun change scares me."

"Why does that scare you?"

"Because you're too good at switching '_he for she'_ in real life, too. I admit that I have a hang-up about your bisexuality. It terrifies me because you've already shown that you'll leave me for a girl. I suppose that it wouldn't be any different than leaving me for another guy, but somehow, it is. To me. And I realize that it's wrong. But I can't help how I feel about it."

Kurt had a point. He had done the very thing that Kurt was afraid he'd do, so he really couldn't form a proper denial about it.

"I love you, Sam. But I'm setting you free again. _For a while_. I'm giving you the time to make up your mind. You need to make sure that you want _me _and only me_. _Because if it happens again, I won't be able to take it if you decide that I'll never be who you really want."

Kurt cupped his hands around Sam's face and kissed him gently. "I have to go."

"Okay. I love you, too, you know." And he did. He knew that now. But he also understood that it wasn't enough right now. He'd messed up too much for a simple _I love you_ to fix.

"I _do_ know. I knew before you did," Kurt said sadly. "Now, the question is, do you love _you_ enough to have what you want?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Blaine, we need to talk." Kurt threw his messenger bag down near his closet and took off his jacket, hanging it up as he moved around the room.

"About what?" He mocked as he followed Kurt into the room. Blaine had been silent during the entire drive home from school, but that was going to be short-lived it seemed.

Great. He was already angry. This wasn't a good sign.

"What the fuck are you mad about now?" Kurt sat on his bed and scooted back to lean against the headboard." This whole game of _let's guess what's stuck up Blaine's ass _was getting old.

"What do you think I'm mad about?" Blaine slammed his phone down on the end of the bed and sat on Kurt's chair, twirling it around so that he could face Kurt.

"I don't know. Sebastian's stopped sexting you? Finn's _started_ sexting you? Katy Perry retired? Pink dyed her hair again? You tell me."

"Finn? What the fuck?" Blaine's eyes bugged out.

"Seriously? What now? I'm just about sick of the tormented angry Blaine routine. Didn't you go beat the hell out of workout bag earlier today? Wasn't that enough?"

"The guys of the group were going over more stuff for Nationals. It involved more of your buddy's stupid dance ideas. He might as well have us turning tricks for the judges."

Okay, that was enough. He'd had enough of Blaine and his attitude.

"You know what Blaine? I was hoping this conversation was going to be amiable. But obviously not. Because you are a fucking hypocrite."

"What the hell?"

"I'm so sick of it. You sit there and condemn Sam for dancing! Just dancing. He's not trying to turn tricks or use sex to buy votes. And what about you? Back when we were at Dalton, you decided that The Warblers had to go sexy to defeat New Directions. You were doing the same thing—selling sex. In the same way—for a competition."

"At least I wasn't a stripper!"

Kurt was starting to develop a twitch. Over the past few weeks, there had been so many attacks against Sam that Kurt felt like he was going to murder someone. And he watched enough prime time TV to make it look like an accident.

"You are so fucking oblivious. Do you even care _why_ he did that? Did it even matter that he did that to help his family and that paid more money than he'd ever seen before? No, it wasn't the most appropriate job for him, but he was trying to make his family's life easier."

"By being cheap," he spat.

"Sam is not cheap."

"He's already dated three of your friends. And now he's after you. So you tell me how that's not being cheap?"

Fuming, Kurt grabbed Blaine's phone from the bed and flipped through his texts. "Sexting Sebastian, Blaine? It looks like you'd know what cheap is, wouldn't you?"

"This isn't about Sebastian, Kurt, so leave him out of it."

"Defending him yet again, I see." Kurt sneered. "Of course. Let's make sure that Kurt doesn't say anything bad about your little side Warbler, while he's allowed to say whatever he wants about me. You probably join in the Kurt bashing when I'm not around."

"You bash him just as much as he does you!"

"And it's well deserved, believe me. He's not who you think he is, but I really don't care about that."

"Of course not. This is all about your precious Sam."

"This. Is all about the fact that you and I need to be over." Kurt stood and adjusted his clothing.

This needed to end right now because there was no salvaging this. He'd sort of hoped to be able to keep Blaine as a friend after this, but that idea was shot to hell. Blaine was too volatile.

Blaine was on his feet in moments and stalked toward him. "I was right about him, wasn't I? You're cheating with him, aren't you? Why else would you be so defensive about him—to your boyfriend?"

"Like you're so defensive about Sebastian. Or is that completely innocent too? And why does it even matter to you anymore?"

"Geez. You won't even own up to it, will you?"

"Like you'll own up to cheating with Sebastian?"

"Leave. Sebastian. Out of this."

"Okay, Blaine. I give. Yes, I cheated with Sam. But it was a long time ago. Back when you were still at Dalton and a little while after I came back to McKinley. You happy now?" Kurt glared.

"What the fuck? You slept with him _BEFORE_ me?" Blaine shouted. "What the hell was all that about? You said you were still a virgin!"

"No, I didn't. I just let you think that because you never wanted to touch me anyway. Seriously, Blaine? We dated for almost nine months and you never even touched me below my waist? Or let me touch you? You never really wanted me to begin with."

"I was trying to make our first time together special because I thought you were a virgin."

"Oh. So that's why you decided to try to force me to have sex in the back seat of the car. And for what? Because Artie said that you'd be a sexier Tony if you fucked me?"

Blaine's mouth dropped open with a gasp. "How did you know about that?"

"Rachel tells me almost everything. She tried the same shit with Finn, but at least she was sober when she propositioned him. And he somewhat politely declined. I, however, had to scream at you to get you to stop. Charming behavior really—discussing the losing of your virginities so that you could both play more convincing characters. No wonder you two get along so well."

"So why did you have sex with me then? That night after the show."

"Because I still wanted to salvage our relationship. And I actually thought maybe having sex with you would keep Sebastian out of the picture. I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't fair to you or me."

And it obviously hadn't worked anyway.

"And I'm not really proud of myself that I had sex with you just a few days after I fought you off in the back seat of my own fucking car," Kurt added.

"This whole time. This entire time we've been dating. You've been screwing around with _EVANS_?" He was pacing now, and his hands were clenched at his sides.

"Well, since I'm being honest now. No. Not exactly. We've had sex exactly once. That time last year. He kissed me a few times prior to that last year."

"And what about now? Since he came back?"

"He isn't sure what he wants."

There was no point in denying it. If Sam decided he didn't want him, Kurt would be noticeably single for the rest of the year. And Blaine would know he'd lied about Sam being with him.

"You mean he publicly declared an intention to date Mercedes, but he'll be glad to fuck you on the side then? Honorable."

"Fuck you, Blaine."

"Fuck _you_, Kurt. Now I understand why you went crazy on me over the whole Rachel kiss thing!" Blaine shot back at him. "I'll bet you had the same conversation with him long before you ever went off on me about it. That makes so much sense now. You threw an absolute hissy fit at me over the idea that I might have been bisexual. And I couldn't figure out at the time why the whole idea bothered you so much. But I guess I know now. Your pretty boy is bisexual, and that pissed you the fuck off, didn't it? And then when I said I might be, you went off the deep end. Did it touch a nerve for you?"

"Honestly, yes. It did bother me," Kurt gestured for him to leave. "Blaine, just go back to Sebastian. I already know you had sex with him because your little Warbler whore sent me a picture of it two days ago."

Blaine's fist shot out, connected with Kurt's eye, and all of the air seemed to get sucked from the room.

"Priceless. You have sex with him, he takes pictures of you sucking his cock and texts them to me, and you're furious with _me_ about it? I hope you are happy with each other. You deserve each other." Kurt cupped his face gently and shook his head.

Damn. He was going to have a black eye. Sam was going to be pissed. _Shit_.

This he'd never expected.

Really?

After all the hateful things he's said to various people over the years, this was the one that gets him punched? Calling Sebastian a whore. And Sebastian was a self-admitted whore. He bragged about being willing to sleep with anything that had a cock. Lovely.

He chuckled a bit, and Blaine looked at him like Kurt had gone crazy. Maybe he had.

"Defending his honor, are you? Let me know how that works out after he's screwed you over for the next sex-on-a-stick he sees. Now get out."

Not even Puck, whose anger issues were legendary, had ever punched him. This was surreal.

"Get out."

He felt kind of good, like a heavy weight had lifted, and he hadn't even taken a swing. Maybe there was something to this whole aggression eases stress thing. Maybe he'd start punching stuff randomly. It seemed like it was a satisfying experience.

"Kurt, wait."

"Get out Blaine. Now."

Blaine snatched his phone from the floor, but he hesitated at the bedroom door.

"For what it's worth. I'm sorry."

Kurt didn't respond.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"What the hell happened to you?" Kurt's dad asked when he walked into the kitchen.

"Nothing," Kurt opened the fridge and bent to gather ingredients to start dinner. Carole was working late, and she wouldn't be able to cook tonight.

"It doesn't look like nothing. It looks like somebody hit you." Burt grabbed Kurt's face and tilted it up towards the light. "Hard."

"Dad," Kurt answered in the usually ignored _I don't want to talk about it_ voice.

"Those bullies start something with you again?" Burt leaned against the counter and drank his coffee.

"No."

"Then what happened?"

"Dad, do we really have to do this?"

He really did not want his father going after Blaine with a shotgun. Or his truck. Or anything else that could land Burt in jail.

"Yes, we do."

"Okay, I got punched. It's over. When I get dinner finished, I'll put some ice on it."

"Kurt," Burt warned.

"Dad, you are going to get pissed and possibly do something violent when you find out, so that's why I'd prefer not to tell you." Kurt stopped chopping the vegetables for the soup he'd decided on and pointed the knife in Burt's direction. "And you would do it, so don't deny it."

Burt flushed but nodded agreement. "Okay, I promise not to kill the person. Now what happened?"

"HA! Yeah right. You say that now."

"Kurt, this isn't funny anymore. What happened?"

Kurt sighed and put down the knife. "It was Blaine."

"WHAT?" Burt's coffee sloshed out onto the floor.

"Calm down. It's all over. We had a huge fight over various issues and I insulted Sebastian, who is apparently Blaine's _something_. It struck a nerve, and he lost it. But it's over now. We broke up, partly because of Sam, and partly because of Sebastian. He'd almost made it through the entire fight without hitting something, but apparently calling Sebastian a whore crossed the line."

"Kurt," Burt frowned.

"Dad, the boy calls _himself_ a whore. It's not an opinion. It's fact. And he took a picture of him and Blaine doing something that _goes-down-in-the-tent_ and sent it to me. So does that not deserve that particular label?"

Burt's face froze after _goes-down-in-the-tent_.

"Now do you see why I wanted to leave it alone? Your brain can't even process this," Kurt laughed. "I'm fine, Dad. I'm not a girl you know. I can take a punch every now and then, but I was enough of a wuss to take some pain medicine upstairs. Sam is going to be pissed though."

"Sam's the one that you liked last year right? The one that went after that Dave kid?"

"Yeah. That's Sam."

"So is he something now?"

"He could be. I'm hoping."

"So he's no longer undetermined?"

"Nope. Not gay, but bisexual."

"Not gonna ask for more info on that by the way."

"I didn't figure you would, Dad." Kurt smiled and went back to preparing dinner. "I wish Finn was here right now. I don't relish the idea of repeating all this when he freaks out."

Kurt sighed when Finn strode into the kitchen and shouted, "What happened to your face?"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Kurt, I need to tell you something. I heard a rumor today that I think we should try to squash." Finn sat on the edge of Kurt's bed after dinner and started tossing his football above his head.

"What rumor?" There was always some kind of rumor going around McKinley. The gossiping students were only ever right less than half the time.

"That you are going after Sam."

Not this again. Geez. Why did Finn feel the need to involve himself in every part of Kurt's life?

"And where did you hear this?"

"From Quinn. I told her it wasn't true, but she didn't believe me."

Probably because she was the one starting the damn thing. Out of spite.

"Why do we need to squash it? Rumors go away more easily if you just ignore them."

Kurt was baiting him. It had been a long time since Finn had done anything or said anything even slightly homophobic, but Kurt knew the feelings were still there. Somewhere. Finn was a walking poster boy for the politically incorrect sometimes.

"Because you wouldn't do that to him."

"Blaine you mean? You do recall the play-by-play I gave you in the kitchen about the fact that we're broken up right?" Kurt reminded as he flipped through the magazine in his hands.

"No, I mean you wouldn't do that to Sam."

Kurt was tempted to just let it drop. So tempted. But of course he couldn't.

"Why wouldn't I? I'm single now, and Sam's gorgeous."

"Because that would embarrass Sam."

Kurt took a deep breath. Really. He could handle this without anger. He really could. Maybe.

"Excuse me?"

Finn must have missed seeing Kurt's expression as his eyes followed the football. Because he was sure if Finn were actually looking at him right now, he'd certainly shut the fuck up before Kurt did something stupid. Or violent.

"I said it would embarrass Sam," he repeated. "I mean, he's not exactly your type you know."

"And what exactly is my type, Finn?" Kurt asked coldly.

"You know…" Finn shrugged.

"What is it, Finn? Gay male? I'm fairly certain that gay male isn't actually considered a type."

"Look Kurt. I'm just saying that you should probably tell people that you aren't chasing after him. It'll screw up his reputation."

"Really, how so?"

"Kurt, you know what I'm talking about. With you…being you. It'll…"

"It will do what? Good lord. If singing with me would get him _killed_, what could _dating_ me possibly do? Is there a fate worse than that in your eyes? Perhaps having sex with me would kill Sam, resurrect him because I'm just _that_ good, and then kill him again?"

Finn dropped the football. "What?"

"Yes, I know what you told him. I didn't find out until this week or we would have had this discussion a long time ago. Boy, you're never happy until I'm put in my place are you? Until I'm informed that it's inappropriate for me to find heterosexual men attractive."

"Kurt, that was not what I meant."

"The sad thing is that you really believe that. I thought you'd changed, Finn. But you haven't. You've just successfully learned to repress those feelings of revulsion you have. Please get out. I don't intend for the parents to find out we've had this talk, but I guarantee I'll have fewer of them with you."

"Kurt," Finn floundered.

"Stop. Just leave. There is no way to salvage this discussion, Finn. But for the record, since you're so concerned about his reputation as opposed to mine. I'm not going after Sam."

Finn's shoulders sagged with relief.

_Really_? He just couldn't help it, could he?

"Finn!"

Finn turned at the doorway to look back at Kurt. "What?"

"Sam happens to be coming after _me_. So why don't you leave me out of it and go try to convince him that he's wrong. I'm sure Sam would appreciate your well-meaning intervention."

Kurt glared as Finn left the room and then he grabbed his phone.

**From Kurt: I'm sorry. I went off on Finn and kind of outed you. **

Kurt wondered if it could be considered outing since Sam was very willing to tell people he was bisexual. He'd just never said the words to Finn. Would Sam be mad?

The answer came almost immediately.

**From Sam: wht did tht asshle do now? Its np btw**

**From Kurt: He decided to encourage me to squash the rumor that I want you.**

**From Sam: but u do want me**

Kurt smiled down at his iPhone. Sam was so adorable. Kurt could picture the confused look on his face.

**From Kurt: I know. I'll explain more later. Too much to type.**

**From Sam: Did u tlk to hobbit mcstupidface?**

**From Kurt: LOL That insult doesn't even make sense, Sam. But yes. We broke up.**

**From Sam: good was he mad?**

**From Kurt: You could say that. But he also sort of admitted to cheating with Sebastian too.**

Kurt supposed punching someone for insulting the boy you'd been caught giving a blow job to could be _admitting to cheating_.

**From Sam: figures**

**From Kurt: I suggested that Finn come harass you about how embarrassing you'll think it is for me to want to be with you.**

**From Sam: HE SAID WHAT?**

**From Kurt: Exactly my reaction, too.**

**From Sam: im gonna beat his ass if he says anther wrd abt it**

**From Kurt: You'd better not. You'll need your energy tomorrow.**

**From Sam: do I want to know y. hoping for smthng sex rlated**

Kurt laughed out loud.

**From Kurt: Aren't you always hoping for something sex related?**

**From Sam: maybe gotta go my turn to clean up kitchen. vegan makes a mess**

Sam had been staying with Rachel's family since his return, since they had more room in their house.

**From Kurt: Good night, Sam. **

**From Sam: night Kurt I love u**

**From Kurt: I love you too Sam Evans.**


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for all the wonderful comments. I haven't written in such a long time, that I thought this story would be much harder to tell. It's coming much faster than I anticipated, and I appreciate the support.

My name isn't ObsessiveKumpulsive for nothing, and it bothers me to have two Kurt POVs back to back when the POVs have been flip-flopped the entire time, lol. I tried writing this chapter from Sam's POV, but I wasn't feeling it. So I ended up with this.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"You can't hide from him forever, you know." Santana smirked as she cornered Kurt at his locker.

"I'm not trying to hide forever. Just long enough to get this day over with," Kurt shut his locker with a slam and winced at the noise. He still had some residual headache from the day before.

If he could get Sam through the day without finding out, then Sam might not get suspended for beating the shit out of Blaine. Then Kurt would have the chance to calm Sam down before the next school day. And then everything would be fine. Just fine.

Now, if he could get the school busybodies to leave them the hell alone. He was surprised that Sam hadn't found out from someone else by now. The plebeians at this school itched to see fights, and thanks to Quinn and Mercedes, everybody was talking about the Kurt/Blaine/Sam love triangle. The triangle that wasn't a triangle. Sigh.

"Sam's going to see you. People have been asking him all day if they've seen you. He's texted me and asked me in person about where you are."

Britt walked up and kissed Santana on the cheek. Then she turned to Kurt. "Dolphin, that looks bad. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Britt. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Blaine didn't look happy today. He was muttering something about that other birdie." Britt dug into her own locker.

Kurt really didn't care about Blaine's obsession with the other birdie, but he wasn't going to snap at Britt about it. She was one of the few people at this school he actually adored.

Kurt's iPhone buzzed and he pulled it out to check the incoming message.

**From Sam: do u work for cia or somthng?**

Kurt had managed to avoid Sam for three class periods now. It wouldn't last much longer, but since they didn't have any classes together, if he could just avoid the halls, they'd be home free. As long as someone didn't try to help Sam to find him.

Kurt couldn't help but smile at Sam's text.

**From Kurt: Um. No. I wasn't aware the CIA employed fashion designers. Why?**

He hadn't told Sam yet that he'd accepted the Kent State scholarship. He'd been accepted to Parsons but still hadn't heard from FIT yet. Kurt had gone ahead and made the decision that was best for the whole family, and he'd taken the full scholarship. His dad had frowned at first upon hearing the news the night before, but after hearing Kurt's reasons, he'd also looked pleased that Kurt had put the family's needs before his own. After all, they still needed to pay for Finn's college costs if he didn't manage to score a football scholarship or financial aid. He was making any sacrifices for Finn. He was making them for his father. Burt had had enough stressors in his life. And it's not as if accepting the full scholarship was a true sacrifice anyway.

So Kurt was now officially a fashion design student instead of a musical theatre student. And it didn't feel like a disappointment. It felt good.

**From Sam: ben looking 4 u all mrning where r u?**

_Avoiding you so you don't beat my ex-boyfriend to within an inch of his life, that's where._

**From Kurt: Um. Around. In classes. Been in the occasional bathroom.**

Santana laughed when she read the text over his shoulder. "Give it up Lady Face. The boy is relentless. He's going to find you, and then he's going to find Hobbit."

"I wish I'd never told you what happened, Satan," Kurt sighed.

**From Sam: y do people keep askng me if ive seen u?**

Oh, boy. Poor Sam. He must be so confused right now. But confused was better than a Hulk-like rage, Kurt reasoned.

**From Kurt: Curiosity maybe?**

**From Sam: r u avoidng me?**

Straight and to the point. Well _bisexual_ and to the point, he guessed, and laughed softly. Now was not the time for lame jokes. Maybe Kurt was cracking up under the pressure of hiding from Sam.

"Can you crack up from the pressure of hiding from someone?" Kurt looked up at Santana with real concern.

"_You_? You could crack up at any time. We've all just been waiting for it, Baby Gay." Santana smirked.

Baby Gay. He hated that nickname. He kind of liked Porcelain, but if Coach Sylvester caught anybody else calling him that, she'd chew them out. So Santana had to make sure it didn't become a habit since she was a Cheerio. So she always resorted to making names up for him. She seemed to take great satisfaction from them. And from his cringes when she said them.

**From Kurt: Why do you keep texting me? I thought you were taking time to think about me.**

**From Sam: dont need time. why do u keep anserng?**

_Because I love you,_ he thought.

**From Kurt: Because you're adorable and irresistible. I can't not answer you. **

**From Sam: I stl thnk ur avoidng me**

Sam _was_ relentless, but Kurt already knew that.

**From Kurt: I'm just giving you space, sweetie. So you can think. Like we talked about.**

**From Sam: could u explan why JBI is tlkng abt me kikng sumbdys ass? does he mean finn?**

Oh, crap. Ben Israel. He'd be sure to tell Sam what happened so he could get the resulting fight on video for his damn website.

**From Kurt: Don't listen to JBI. He's delusional. Just go on to class, and I'll see you later. **

Kurt glanced up and saw Santana shift in front of him. Was she smiling? A smiling Satan was a dangerous Satan.

Kurt looked down when his phone buzzed again.

**From Sam: Caught you.**

_Shit. _

Kurt spun around, and his eyes widened in shock.

"What. The. Fuck?" Sam shouted, and he fumbled his phone. It dropped to the ground, but Sam barely noticed. Out of the corner of his good eye, Kurt saw Santana bend to retrieve it.

"Sam," Kurt whispered. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Where. Is. He?" Sam demanded.

Sam cupped his hands around Kurt's face and tilted it towards him. Kurt had tried to hide the bruise with some concealer, but it was too bright and covered too much area to hide completely. Kurt winced when Sam's finger brushed against the mark.

"Sam, calm down," Kurt reached up to grab the hands holding his face hostage. He pulled at them pleadingly, but Sam didn't let go.

"Where is he?" Sam repeated. "There will not be any discussion over this, Kurt."

"Sam, I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt anymore." Kurt knew Sam didn't believe him, because Sam's eyes had narrowed when Kurt winced.

"I repeat. Where is he?"

"I don't know. We don't have any classes together."

Well, he actually did know because he knew all of both Blaine's and Sam's schedules, but he wasn't going to supply that information at the moment. Not when Sam looked like he could tear Blaine limb from limb.

"Hobbit has gym next, so I think he's headed for the locker room, Trouty!" Santana supplied unhelpfully.

Kurt glared at her, but Sam didn't take his eyes off Kurt's face.

"Thanks Satan," he answered, eyes still on Kurt's. "You wait here," he whispered.

"Sam, don't." Kurt pleaded.

But Sam was gone.

_Shit. _

Sam was running full speed down the hallway toward the locker room.

"Dammit. And he's off again." Kurt sighed. "Thanks a lot, Santana," Kurt shot at her and took off after him.

"No problem," Santana smirked. "Least I can do!" she shouted after him.

Sam was fast, and it didn't take him long to leave Kurt behind. Kurt dodged through hallway traffic, and ignored the shouts of the students. It was as if they were determined to get in his way.

Kurt rounded the corner and shot into the boys' locker room. He hated this room with a passion. This room held nothing but humiliation and pain for Kurt. _Kurt having to avoid this room until the rest of the class had showered. Kurt having to sneak in here after school to clean up after being thrown into dumpsters. Kurt being kissed by Karofsky. _

Sam must have attacked the moment he entered the room, because he and Blaine were already fighting on the floor of the locker room. All Kurt could see was a writhing mass of punches, shoves, and grunts coming from the both of them. Sam was capable of handling much bigger guys, and Blaine was not a bigger guy. Sam had held his own with Karofsky, who towered over him and weighed much more, so fighting Blaine couldn't be much of a problem for him.

"Sam, STOP!" Kurt yelled, and he pushed people out of his way. There was a small crowd of students, Blaine's gym class peers, staring and cheering them on.

"You son of a bitch," Sam growled. "You ever fucking touch him again, and I'll kill you."

"Sam!" Kurt yelled at him, but Sam didn't seem to hear him. Sam had Blaine pinned up against the wall of lockers.

"Get the fuck off, Evans." Blaine shot back and shoved Sam backwards.

Sam's fist nailed Blaine right in the same eye where Kurt's injury was. But Sam apparently hit harder than Blaine because Blaine hit the floor. Kurt hadn't. He was strangely proud. _Hey, Kurt was even more bad-ass than he thought. Mr. Dalton Fight Club couldn't even knock him out_.

Okay, he really _was_ losing it. He _had_ cracked. The pressure _was_ too much.

"Sam. This doesn't fix things. You need to calm down." Kurt stepped forward and put a hand on Sam's arm. He curled his fingers around Sam's forearm and squeezed gently to get his attention.

Sam looked back at him, his expression softened, and he communicated his agreement wordlessly. And just like that, it was over. Coach Bieste hadn't even had time to get to this fight.

"You okay?" Kurt whispered and pulled Sam towards him.

Sam had a cut over his eye, and his knuckles were scraped raw. Blood trickled from his lower lip, and Kurt sighed, "Sam." Kurt brushed Sam's hair off to the side and checked for more injuries. "It's okay. I'm fine. You didn't have to do this."

Kurt glanced at Blaine, and he looked much worse. Blaine was gasping for breath, and he was a lot bloodier. He also hadn't gotten up from the floor yet. Maybe Blaine should have talked more about fight club, asked some advice from some people. Learned how to fight, possibly.

Kurt got an overwhelming urge to laugh. _Fight Club. You're doing it wrong_.

"He shouldn't have taken it out on you," Sam whispered.

"Come on," Kurt led Sam from the room and pulled him down the hallway.

They ignored the stares and whispers among the students in the hallway. Kurt really didn't feel like dealing with anybody but Sam at the moment.

"Porcelain!" Coach Sylvester nodded towards her office. "There's a first aid kit in there. Who is the other victim?"

Kurt smiled at her gratefully. "Young Burt Reynolds," Kurt answered her and pulled Sam into the office. Kurt shook his head when Sam's eyebrow rose at the nickname. "You don't want to know."

Coach Sylvester nodded and headed towards the locker room. She was off to do her very best to humiliate and intimidate Blaine. Kurt knew she'd never really liked his ex-boyfriend. She'd placed partial blame on Blaine for Kurt leaving McKinley, but Kurt's ex had never known that. And Kurt was fairly certain that Coach knew Blaine was the one that had blackened Kurt's eye. She just knew things like that. It was eerie.

Blaine had taken the nickname as a compliment, but Kurt knew that Burt Reynolds had always been on Coach Sylvester's list of people to destroy. She never would tell Kurt why, though. And he sure as hell wasn't going to ask her.

Sam leaned against the edge of Coach's desk and grimaced.

Kurt took out some antiseptic and some gauze wrapping for Sam's knuckles.

"I'm fine, you know," Kurt smiled at him. "But thank you for defending me. Not many people do that. _But_, I'd like the record to show that I don't always need a knight in shining armor. Yes, it's nice to know that I have someone to be that for me, but I'm not a damsel in distress. And I'm not a girl. I can take a punch every now and then. I'm not going to break. And using violence doesn't fix things."

This was the main reason Kurt had avoided him all morning. He knew that once Sam saw his face, he'd react immediately and without thinking it through. He'd hoped to have this conversation with Sam after school, far away from the temptation of beating Blaine's face in.

"Kurt," Sam fidgeted.

"What? I'm not going to yell at you. But I want you to see my point of view too. I didn't hit Blaine back yesterday for a good reason. _It. Won't. Solve. Anything. _Yes, I'll admit thatit feels good sometimes to release that anger. But it doesn't convince the other person that _they_ are wrong. It just convinces them that _you_ are in the wrong."

Sam started looking uncomfortable. So Kurt decided to let him off the hook.

"Plus, didn't you notice? You knocked Blaine on his ass. Yesterday, when he hit me, he knocked me off my balance, but I didn't fall down. I've decided that it makes me totally bad-ass. I'll be like Puck's trainee. I may even let Puck hit me next time and see how I can handle that. Of course, then I can guilt him into buying me something. Pretty soon I'll be so intimidating that nobody will hit me simply because they won't want to have to buy me shit. Because I'll be just _that_ good. Dalton Fight Club my ass. _The Hummel School of How to Take a Fucking Punch And Then Get Prada Out of It_ is kick ass." Kurt grinned.

Sam laughed and winced a little bit at his lip.

"Then I'll hunt down Karofsky and take him on. That mission could take a while though. And he's kind of non-violent himself now, so there may be an issue there. I'll still need back-up for that just in case, so get healthy soon young Padawan."

Sam's eyes practically glazed over with pleasure. He couldn't look any happier unless Kurt had combined Star Wars with Avatar.

"Star Wars references are a kink for you?" Kurt laughed. "I guess I get to be your Jedi master then? I'm _so_ not going to say anything about wielding your light saber, just so you know. But if we do this, I am totally going Emperor Palpatine on this school. Although, my skin care regimen is a bit better than his. You can be my Anakin, but you'll have to get that Darth Vader impression down. There will be none of this Padme shit either. In my alternate universe, Anakin is totally bisexual, and hot for me."

"Stop," Sam begged, shaking with laughter.

He was adorable when he laughed. Kurt slid his hand down Sam's jawline and smiled at him.

"The punch wasn't really about me, you know." Kurt finished wrapping the gauze gently around Sam's hand, and he moved on to work on his eye.

"What do you mean?"

"Strangely enough, he was only angry over you. But when I insulted Sebastian, that's when he punched me."

Sam laughed. "What did you say about that prick?"

"I may have called him a whore. Which apparently is a sore spot with Blaine."

"He _is_ a whore, isn't he?"

"Thank you. At least someone listens to me. But I probably shouldn't have said it. For some odd reason, he cares about Meerkat." Kurt leaned in and kissed Sam on the side of his mouth that was currently not busted. "He always makes me furious when he bad mouths you, so I can kind of understand his point of view."

Kurt wouldn't add that Blaine had said a lot of things about Sam over the past few months that were much worse than what he'd called Sebastian.

"So he didn't hit you over breaking up with him? Did you tell him all about us?"

"As much as he would listen to. He seemed angrier over the insult to Sebastian than he was over me sleeping with you last year. He must have it bad for Sebastian."

"He deserves Sebastian. He doesn't deserve you. And honestly, neither do I."

Kurt grabbed Sam by the back of the neck and pulled him into another kiss. Sam whimpered slightly when he opened his mouth, but he didn't complain when Kurt slipped his tongue inside. Kurt pulled back gently and stroked Sam's injured lower lip with the tip of his finger. "Sorry."

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" Sam murmured against his finger.

"Possibly. There may still be a need for further public humiliation. After all, I can't allow you to spend more effort on wooing Mercedes than you do wooing me," Kurt grinned as they kissed again. "If you are going to sink your popularity once and for all, you might as well _go big, or go home_ right?"

Sam laughed. "Duly noted. Plans for further public humiliation will begin later, though. I'll need to think of something very slushie worthy, and I'll have to pack a lot of clothes."

Sam pulled Kurt close and hugged him tightly. Kurt sighed into the embrace and wrapped his arms around Sam's waist. "Don't let go, okay," he whispered into his shoulder.

"Wasn't planning on it."


	9. Chapter 9

Sam was pulling books from his locker when he caught sight of Kurt stalking through the students at the other end of the hallway. Kurt was pissed at someone, and since Sam knew he hadn't done anything wrong lately, he was fairly sure it wasn't directed at him. _This time_.

The crowd shifted, and then Sam spotted the object of Kurt's derision—one shuffling form of Finn Hudson, who was following Kurt closely and gesturing wildly at him.

He couldn't hear anything Finn was saying, but the fact that Kurt was silent was very telling. Sam doubted that Finn could tell that Kurt had crossed from normal anger into barely controlled rage. Kurt stopped in the hallway and clutched his bag closer to him, and Finn crowded the personal space in front of him.

Sam watched.

Finn was never really good at minding his own business, but when it came to Kurt, Finn was borderline obsessed. It seemed like he had to know everything and, worse, have a _say_ in everything Kurt did.

Kurt didn't know it, but Santana had told Sam about Kurt's crush on Finn during sophomore year. Sam had been slightly irritated, but then again, Kurt had confessed to having a thing for jocks, so he couldn't really say he was surprised. Finn had been quarterback then. And Finn could be very charming apparently, since Quinn and Rachel were constantly at odds over him.

While Sam and Mercedes were dating, he'd found out a little more. She said that Finn had taken advantage of Kurt's crush and manipulated him into helping him in his relationships with both girls. Kurt had known that Finn was doing it, but he'd been so enamored that he hadn't cared at the time.

Then there had been the duet incident. Kurt had refused to tell Sam what Finn had said to him, but he admitted that it had not been pleasant. He knew that Finn had gotten to him, and that he was the catalyst for Kurt setting Sam free from his commitment. Sam could imagine what Finn may have said, since he was very familiar with what Finn had said to _him_.

Then there was Finn's overreaction to Kurt leaving for Dalton. Even Sam realized at the time that Kurt was better off, well safer, there, and Sam would have done just about anything to keep Kurt at McKinley at the time. Finn was pissed that he hadn't had a say in the transfer, and he didn't have any problems telling Kurt that.

Then there was the rumor that hadn't really been a rumor. Finn seemed almost as upset over the idea that Kurt had cheated on Blaine with Sam as he'd been at the possibility that Quinn had done the same. That wasn't normal.

Even if they'd been able to prove that Kurt and Sam had slept together, it wasn't any of their business. It would have involved Kurt, Sam and Blaine only. Finn had no right to get involved at the time. Of course, then he'd tainted the rest of the club with his theories, and even Mercedes had verbally attacked Sam over it.

_Huh_. That should have been Sam's first clue about _her_ personality.

Then Finn's obsession extended to Blaine once the Hobbit had transferred to McKinley. Everybody could see it. Finn was terrified that he was being replaced, so he lashed out at Blaine every chance he got. The only person who seemed clueless was Shue, but he was always clueless about anything to do with Finn and Rachel.

Sam watched them argue at the end of the hall, and then they dropped out of sight, into the auditorium. If Kurt was going to give Finn a piece of his mind, Sam was sure he'd rather it not happen in the hallway.

Sam followed and stood at the doorway of the auditorium, popping his head around the edge of the door to see where they'd gone. He'd be here in case Kurt needed him, but he'd prefer that Finn not know that. Finn always saved his most hurtful words for Kurt's ears only.

Kurt could hold his own, Sam knew, but Finn's stupidity sometimes made him cross lines he had no business crossing. And if he knew Sam was there, he'd stop himself from saying what he really felt.

And what he really felt was definitely something Sam wanted to hear. No doubt it had something to do with the discussion Kurt had texted him about.

"Stop being so damn selfish, Kurt," Finn shouted at him.

Sam slid through the door, and he thought he'd caught Kurt's eye, but he couldn't be sure because the auditorium was so dark. Kurt had only made it halfway down the aisle, obviously heading backstage. Finn had his back to Sam and was doing his best to intimidate Kurt. Sam slipped into a seat nearer to the back to watch and listen. But he perched lightly, so he could help if needed.

Kurt may not need a knight in shining armor right now, but that didn't mean Sam wasn't going to be there for him. But if Finn took one step in the direction of hurting Kurt, Sam couldn't promise that he wasn't going to react, despite Kurt's _don't-be-violent-Sam_ mandate.

If Kurt _had_ noticed Sam was there, he had shown no sign of it that Finn would recognize.

"Why am I being selfish? What have I done that's so wrong this time, oh paragon of virtue?"

"Blaine and Sam! Now, Glee Club will be at each other's throats again, all because of you! You can't just back off. Even when you know you should."

"Back off from what? I don't have any reason to back off from anything, Finn."

"You need to back off from Sam. Stop going after him. He's got some superhero complex when it comes to helping people, and that's why he went after Blaine. Don't start mistaking that for love, Kurt. It's embarrassing to you, and it's embarrassing to Sam."

"Finn, I'm tired of this fighting. Ask Sam about it, if you think I had anything to do with it. I didn't want him to fight Blaine. He chose to do that, which is more than I can say about you. You seemed to think that Blaine had every right to punch me, remember?"

"Because you don't know how to accept the word _NO_!" Finn shouted.

"Sam never said _NO_, Finn! I haven't been coming on to Sam! Why is it so hard to believe that he just might like _me_?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Kurt. You need to face the truth."

"And you need to face the truth that I don't have to live my life the way you want, Finn! There are other people in my life that may just care about me."

_That was it_. _ That_ was what was wrong with Finn, Sam reasoned.

"You're jealous!" Sam called out as hopped up and walked towards them. Kurt didn't look surprised, so he apparently _had_ seen Sam earlier.

Finn spun around, startled, and shouted, "What the hell? We're brothers! You don't know what the fuck you're talking about! That's disgusting!"

Finn tried to push past Sam, but Sam used all his body weight to push him backwards. "You just stay right there. You intimidated Kurt into staying and listening to all your shit, so you are going to listen to me. You fucking _owe _him that!"

Finn glared at him, but he stopped in the middle of the aisle, eyes trained on Sam.

Sam continued, "You're jealous but it has nothing to do with sex. You are as straight as they come, and anybody can see that. You don't want Kurt for yourself, but you can't stand the idea that _he_ might not want _you_."

Finn's face paled in shock, "What are you talking about?"

Kurt's expression was similar. It was as if the thought had never occurred to him. And since Kurt usually thought the best in most people, even when he shouldn't, that was probably true. The thought had probably never crossed his mind.

"I know all about his crush on you in sophomore year." Sam saw Kurt start to squirm at that knowledge, but Sam didn't acknowledge it.

"Finn, I know how it feels for Kurt to love you. It feels fucking fantastic because when he loves you, he loves you unconditionally. He listens to what you say, and he puts you first in his life. He's always, and I mean _always_, on your side. He will do anything to keep you from getting hurt, and he makes you feel invincible. And even if you don't deserve that love, you still get it with all his heart because that's who Kurt is. I know because that's how he loves me."

Kurt came closer to Sam and grabbed his hand, linking their fingers together. Sam squeezed his hand gently to reassure him.

Finn looked away, towards the door, but he didn't move. He could leave at any time. Sam wasn't physically capable of keeping Finn here against his will. But Finn wasn't moving. He stayed, almost defeated. So Sam's guess would be that Finn had finally decided that Kurt deserved to know this. To know what was at the root of this fucked up relationship the two of them had.

"And you miss that," Sam added. "You don't love him, but you want _him_ to love _you_ despite that. Because for a little while, you had somebody who let you be the center of his world. Quinn and Rachel never did that for you. They don't love you unconditionally. There's always something more you need to be, something else you need to do. But not with Kurt, right?"

"That's not what it was about," Finn whispered. "We're brothers now."

"Maybe. But you've never been a real brother to him, and he's tried so hard to be that for you. What you care about is how Kurt can help _you_. And how Kurt can make you feel all better when Quinn or Rachel drag you down. And how Kurt can be there to clean up your messes when you make them. But yet, when he needs you, you leave him hanging in a heartbeat because it's safer for you."

"That's a lie!" Finn glared at him and turned, dropping down into one of the auditorium seats. Sam shifted, pulling Kurt with him, so that he could keep Finn's face in his line of sight.

"Really? So when Kurt needed your support when he was bullied, you helped him right? When he needed help with Karofsky, you were right there with us right? When he needed someone to understand that Dalton was a safer place for him, you gave him that support right? When he needed more male friends in his life because he was so damn tired of being treated like a girl, you helped him make them right?"

Finn fidgeted in his seat.

"Oh, that's right. You did none of those things. The truth is, Finn, that you want Burt and _you_ to be the only important men in his life. You don't want to love Kurt, and you don't. Not the way he deserves. But you want to be the center of his life again, even if you're only there as his friend, or his brother. You don't want Kurt to have a boyfriend, because if he does, then he won't give you the attention you crave. The unconditional love and attention you don't get from Rachel or Quinn."

Kurt gasped at the look of discomfort on Finn's face. Sam had struck a nerve, and Kurt knew it.

"You insinuate yourself between Kurt and anybody he might be attracted to, and I let you get away with it last year because I didn't realize it for what it was at the time. It didn't work on Blaine while Kurt was at Dalton because you couldn't physically be there to separate them."

"But he tried, the weekends that Blaine and I would be home," Kurt interrupted softly.

That didn't surprise Sam at all.

"I don't have any problems with Blaine!" Finn shouted.

"That's a lie, Finn," Kurt yelled back. "You've had it in for Blaine since he transferred, and it took him fighting with Sam to get you to attempt to be friends with him."

Kurt glanced up at Sam and added, "I assumed that it was because he didn't want to lose the lead male spot in Glee to him."

Sam turned back to Finn.

"But it was more than that, wasn't it Finn? Having Blaine here, right in your face, meant that Kurt wasn't going to be focused on you, and allow you to monopolize his time, his attention, his care. It's okay for Kurt to have a boyfriend, as long as that boyfriend stays away and out of your spotlight. But once Blaine came here, it was different. And now that Blaine's out of the picture, you're back to manipulating Kurt into staying away from me. And it _won't_ work this time."

"Did you decide to mutually hate Sam, Finn? Is that why you two finally made up? Because Blaine was safer, easier to handle, than Sam would be?" Kurt sounded disgusted with both of them.

"I always thought that Karofsky was the biggest threat to Kurt. But I was wrong. We all were. _You're_ a bigger bully than Karofsky ever was because you use emotional blackmail. You want Kurt to believe that the only person who could ever accept him is _you_. And that's only as long as he plays your game. Ever since that crush, you have made it your mission to make Kurt miserable. Because you'd _rather_ he be miserable and alone but available to you, available to be at your beck and call, than for him to be happy and in love with someone else."

"Is that true?" Kurt whispered at Finn.

Finn crossed his arms over his chest and tilted up his chin but didn't answer.

"_IS IT FUCKING TRUE, FINN_?"

"Yes." Finn had the nerve to look Kurt in the eye when he admitted it.

"_YOU ASSHOLE!_" Kurt lunged for Finn, but Sam grabbed him by the waist. Sam pulled Kurt against his chest and just let him release his anger. Kurt's arms and legs were frantic, but Sam managed to avoid getting hit. Mostly.

Kurt needed this. He needed to get it out. But Kurt would hate himself afterwards if Sam let him actually hit Finn. He'd hate himself not on Finn's behalf, but on Burt's and Carole's.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw the other members of New Directions come into the auditorium, obviously attracted by the sound of Kurt's rage. Even Mercedes and Quinn seemed concerned so maybe there was hope for them yet. Blaine looked as if he'd never even _seen_ Kurt before. Actually, most of the rest of the group probably _hadn't_ ever seen Kurt this angry before.

"_ALL THIS TIME! ALL THIS FUCKING TIME I'VE BLAMED MYSELF FOR HOW YOU TREAT ME! BLAMED MYSELF FOR MAKING YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE! I THOUGHT I BROUGHT OUT YOUR FUCKING HOMOPHOBIA! I THOUGHT IF I'D NEVER HAD THAT STUPID FUCKING CRUSH ON YOU THAT YOU'D HAVE TREATED ME BETTER! HOW MUCH PENANCE DO I HAVE TO DO? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU FUCKING WANT FROM ME, FINN?"_

"Kurt, baby, calm down." Sam soothed the struggling boy in his arms.

Kurt was trying desperately to get to Finn, to punish him, and Finn was cringing in his seat. Kurt's sobs of hurt and disappointment were killing Sam.

He'd had enough.

Now that he knew the truth, Kurt had just had enough.

"_NO! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH OVER THIS. HE'S THE REASON THAT I CAN'T EVEN LET PEOPLE TOUCH ME! HE CONVINCED ME THAT I WASN'T EVEN WORTH TOUCHING! THAT IT WAS SOMEHOW WRONG! OR DIRTY! ALL TO KEEP PEOPLE AWAY FROM ME! YOU TWISTED __**ASSHOLE**__!_"

"Kurt, you need to calm down," Mr. Shue started. The other club members were standing around and gawking at the scene.

"_NO, I DON'T NEED TO CALM DOWN! YOU NEED TO STAY OUT OF THIS BECAUSE YOUR PRECIOUS FINN IS THE MOST SELFISH…. AND THE SICKEST… DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING CLUE HOW LONG I'VE PUNISHED MYSELF BECAUSE OF HIM?_" Kurt screamed at him.

"Mr. Shue, you really need to stay out of this. You weren't here at the beginning of this. None of this is Kurt's fault. Not that you'd ever believe that." Sam responded. The rest of the group, minus Rachel, was nodding in agreement. They knew how Mr. Shue was.

"_YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MY BROTHER! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MY BACK THE WAY THAT I HAVE YOURS! I TRUSTED YOU! YOU'RE SO FUCKING SELFISH! ALL OF THIS JUST TO KEEP ME MISERABLE. BECAUSE YOU __**WANT **__ME TO BE MISERABLE! YOU WANT ME TO BE ALONE?"_

Sam's eyes watered with pain for what Kurt was going through. Kurt was so trusting, and Sam hoped that Finn hadn't destroyed that completely.

"_I FELT SO GUILTY ABOUT LOVING YOU BACK THEN BECAUSE YOU MADE IT SO THAT I __**HAD**__ TO FEEL THAT WAY. ALWAYS ACCUSING ME OF BEING AS BAD AS A RAPIST! CLAIMING I WAS A STALKER! TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT LIKING SAM WAS WRONG! TO PUNISH ME? TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM… SAM? FROM BLAINE? TO STOP ME FROM ABANDONING __**YOU**__! I __**HATE**__ YOU FINN! YOU CAN FUCKING GO TO HELL!"_

And then Kurt just stopped shouting. His face was ashen, and his anger was spent. He stopped fighting Sam and crumbled into his arms, tears streaming down his face.

The group had stopped the whispering they'd been doing and just stared uncomfortably at Kurt and Finn. Santana looked livid, and Brittany looked as if she could gladly kill Finn to defend her unicorn.

"What's going on?" The voice came from Rachel. She stepped gingerly toward Kurt, as if she were afraid he'd turn on her if she got close enough.

Kurt shrugged out of Sam's arms and adjusted his clothes. He looked remarkably put together for someone who'd been struggling to get to Finn in order to strangle him.

"Let's just say we figured something out about your boyfriend. And if you care about him as much as you say, you'll get him some help for it. Because there's nothing I can, or will, do to help him anymore." Kurt grasped her hand in his. "I'm sorry, Rachel."

Kurt turned to Finn and continued, "But I'm done. I'll respect Dad's and Carole's wishes when it comes to treating you with civility, and I won't disillusion them about you. I wouldn't do that to Carole, because she would be ashamed of the son she raised. But we're done. I will not talk to you. You will stay out of my life forever. And you will leave Sam alone. Because you are the most manipulative bastard I've ever met. What's sad is that I almost wish you were _only_ a homophobe. Because that. At least _that_, I understand. _This_. This is…. this I don't even know how to fight."

"Kurt, that's not fair to Finn," Mr. Shue interrupted.

Kurt stalked over to him. "Of course you would think that. You always think that. Even if you had a fucking clue about what he's done to me, you'd still defend him because, in your eyes, he can do no wrong. So, I'm done with you too. I quit Glee."

Everybody in the auditorium gasped.

"I'm quitting because it wouldn't matter to most of you what Finn did to me, he'd always come first in there. Because everybody thinks he's a fucking saint. You don't need me for Nationals anyway. It's not like you hear any voices other than his and Rachel's."

"I'm out too, Mr. Shue," Sam added and pulled Kurt with him down the aisle. "When you figure out that Finn needs help, the kind of help only professionals can give him, maybe things will change in there. Kurt comes first in my life. I only wish there were more people in his life who felt the same way."

He led Kurt out of the auditorium and straight to the nearest girls' bathroom. He shuffled Kurt so that he was leaning on a sink, and then he hugged him tightly.

"Do you want to tell me what he said before you two got to the auditorium?" At Kurt's raised eyebrow, Sam added, "I watched you two argue before you went in there."

"It was the same stuff as the other night. That I needed to stay away from you. It wasn't anything worse than what happened in there though."

"Okay, I know you don't feel like talking about this, but I need to know something else. I'm guessing it was what kept you away from me last year. What else did he say? Along with the rapist comment, I mean."

Kurt sobbed into his embrace. "He said that I stalked him and that if he had done the same thing to a girl, she'd have gotten a restraining order against him. And it wasn't true. I never did that. He said I was painting a target on your back, and that if I insisted on singing with you, it would be because I didn't give a damn about anybody but myself. And that's when he said that I didn't know what the phrase _no means no_ meant. I already know what he said to you. Santana told me."

"Okay. Are you going to regret quitting Glee in the morning?"

"Yes. No. Both probably. But I can't be in there without wanting to beat his face in. I totally understand why you had problems controlling your temper with Blaine. Thank you for holding me back. Are you going to regret quitting Glee?" Kurt kissed him and wrapped his arms around Sam's neck.

"You're welcome. And maybe. But I go where you go. It's as simple as that. Especially now."


	10. Chapter 10

Burt was waiting for Kurt when he and Sam arrived at home after school. They'd skipped Glee practice, of course, and they'd left immediately after the last class period. Kurt didn't feel like facing anybody else in the club anyway. Except maybe Britt and Santana.

It was funny. A few weeks ago, Kurt would tell anybody who asked that the two girls he would need the most at this time in his life would have been Mercedes Jones and Rachel Berry. Now, Mercedes was like a stranger to him, and he couldn't even think about talking to Rachel about this because of her relationship with Finn.

Kurt threw his bag down and crawled onto the couch. Sam sat at his feet and pulled them onto his lap.

Kurt had never felt so exhausted in his life.

"Kurt," Burt called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Dad." Kurt sighed and closed his eyes. "Do you want to go out for dinner later, Sam? I don't think I can do family dinner tonight. I'm buying." Kurt knew Sam still struggled with money since his parents were still living in Kentucky.

"Sure. You don't have to pay though."

"Yes, I do. Consider yourself my own private detective after today, so I owe you a dinner at least."

"You could pay me in sex, you know." Sam laughed, rubbing his hand up Kurt's leg in a dorky attempt at seduction. Lucky for him, Kurt loved dorks.

Kurt snorted. "Charming. You're lucky I love you."

"I know."

"Kurt, we need to talk, and I have a feeling that Sam should be in on it. Mr. Schuester called me earlier today," Burt called out.

Great.

Kurt got up and pulled Sam with him towards the kitchen. Burt was seated at the morning table, coffee in hand, and he gestured for them both to sit.

"Dad. Before you start. I have no intention of telling you details about today. What happened between Finn and me today was life-changing for me. And it explains so much of what's wrong with how Finn and I interact with each other. But there are some lines I won't cross. I told him I wouldn't tell you and Carole what he's done, and I won't. No matter what you say to me right now." Kurt sat down and folded his hands in front of him.

"Nice speech. You been working on that one all the way home?"

Kurt snorted and ignored that question.

"Actually, Mr. Schuester had some interesting things to say about Finn. It seems that after you and Sam left the auditorium, some of the members of Glee let Mr. Shue know about some of Finn's behaviors. He mentioned Santana, Mercedes, and even Rachel."

Mercedes backed him up? What the hell for? She'd already abandoned his friendship, so what was in it for her now? Was there a chance that she'd admitted that she'd been wrong?

"What did they say?"

"First of all, do you mind telling me why you kept it a secret that Finn compared you to a rapist?" Burt narrowed his eyes at Kurt.

"You want the whole truth?" Kurt waited for Burt's nod of assent before he continued. "Well, at the time, you were still recovering from the heart attack and I didn't want to worry you. But during the same conversation, I didn't bring it up because you'd already sided with Finn."

"What do you mean I sided with Finn?" His father looked honestly confused.

"You remember that conversation we had over me wanting to sing with Sam? Well, those things that Carole told you. They weren't a hundred percent true. Finn manipulated both of you into believing that. And when you said you agreed with Finn that I was using Sam, I didn't fight you over it because I was worried about your health."

"Okay, fair enough. I'm sorry for that. I should have listened to you more. Now you tell me exactly what happened with Finn."

"Dad, that story would take at least two days. It goes all the way back to when I had a crush on him."

"Okay, summarize. I already know most of what was said today. And for the record, Finn admitted to it all after you left, and he requested to go talk to Ms. Pillsbury about it."

"Okay. To summarize my crush," Kurt began ticking points off on his fingers. "Sadly, I looked longingly at him during classes. I sang a song to him. I did flirt, what little bit I knew about flirting at the time. I helped him with his relationships with both Rachel and Quinn. In a fit of jealousy, I helped Rachel with a makeover that he would be sure to hate—but in my defense, she came to me for that. I didn't go to her. I forgave him for continuing to participate in my bullying even though he knew I had a crush on him. I made the 'call me' gesture with my hand when Glee sang Lean on Me. I smacked him on the butt during Glee's performance of Push It, but that was totally in the choreography. Other members got smacked on the butt, too. The only other thing I can think of was when I attempted to help him remove his eye make-up with a moist towelette. I may have missed some, but I don't think so."

Sam was staring at him in amusement.

"What? I've been obsessed with my behavior for almost two years now. I can't help it if I memorized it." He turned back to his father. "The only thing that I did that might be considered creepy stalker-like behavior is that I introduced you to Carole. At the time, I knew she was very nice, but I didn't actually expect you to fall in love. And I'm not going to apologize for doing that."

Burt smiled. "Good."

"The only other stuff is what you walked in on in the basement. When I redecorated the room. I even asked him to go over the ideas with me, and he wouldn't. He said he didn't care. So I went with colors he liked, and he still went off like he did."

"So that's it? That's the extent of your crush?" Burt looked stunned.

"Yes, dad. No inappropriate touching. No graphic sexual innuendo. No dressing like a hooker and parading in front of Finn. Such is the life of a hopeless prude." Kurt darted his eyes at Sam when he snorted. "You hush."

"Finn made it sound worse to Carole."

"He often does," Kurt sighed.

"And for that, he compared you to a rapist?"

"Yes, he said that if he had done to a girl the same things I'd done, there would have been a restraining order taken out. He added that I didn't understand that the word no means no. And honestly Dad, Finn never once told me to stop liking him. He never said he was uncomfortable until that night in the basement. He actually used to seek me out at school. And he used this argument to get me to leave Sam alone."

"Which I never wanted in the first place, by the way, Mr. Hummel. In fact, Finn came to me and gave me a hard time about agreeing to sing with Kurt. He told me that singing would Kurt would be a death sentence for me because even though he didn't have a problem with gay guys, the world did. Of course, what he said to me was nowhere as bad as what he said to Kurt." Sam's eyes darkened with anger.

"Apparently. Mr. Shue said that he confessed that he'd been trying to keep guys from being interested in you. But not because he was being a protective big brother. In a weirder way."

"Yes, but it's not a creepy incest thing, Dad. It's borderline though. It's a subtle manipulation that I wasn't even aware of until today. He wants my attention, but not in a sexual way. But he does want me to love him the way I used to sophomore year. He just doesn't want to love me back that way. He can't because he's straight. But he'd rather I be without a boyfriend, so I can pay him lots of attention, than for me to be happy and with somebody. He's only ever gone after guys I've been attracted to. He drove Sam and me apart last year, and when Blaine transferred, he started in on him. He wants to have his relationships with Quinn and Rachel, but he wants me there because I'm nicer to him than they are. He has to be at the center of someone else's life, and if it isn't one of the girls, he wants it to be my life that revolves around him."

"That's surreal. I don't even know what to say about it."

"And when he bullies, it's psychological. Sam was the person who figured it out. Finn was bullying me into not dating Sam today. He was calling me an embarrassment to myself and to Sam, and then Sam figured out that Finn's jealous. Not because he wants to be with me, but because he wants me to want him."

"Finn called you an embarrassment?" Burt's eyes flashed with anger.

"Dad, that's not even the worst he's ever said to me. I've just always kept it from you for the sake of you and Carole. But the point is that Sam called him out on it, and he didn't deny any of it. He admitted that he'd rather I be miserable but dependent on him than to be happy with someone else. His jealousy just isn't normal."

"He needs counseling, Mr. Hummel. More than what Ms. Pillsbury can provide," Sam said.

"I agree. And I'll talk to Carole about it. She knows that we got a call, but she doesn't know details. Is there anything you don't want her to know?" Burt looked back at Kurt.

"Could you not tell her that I told Finn she'd be ashamed of him? I was so angry at him, I lashed out."

"I won't tell her, but I think you're right about that."

"Dad, I think I may need it too. I've spent almost two years convinced that there was something wrong with me because of him. He's the reason I hate for people to touch me. He has always made me feel so bad about myself, so guilty, and so wrong, and it was all unjustified. He did it all just to keep me there to make him feel better. I have so many hang-ups that involve comments he's made to me that I can't even begin to explain them all."

"Okay, will do. And we'll make it a different one than he gets. So no awkwardness."

Kurt got up and pulled his father into an embrace. "I'm sorry I never told you."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Burt's eyes were watering when he pulled away.

"Can Sam and I go upstairs if we keep the door open? And I'd like to take him out to dinner tonight. I'd rather not do family dinner if that's okay with you."

"Of course. That's understandable. It'll give Carole and me an opportunity to talk to Finn."

Burt turned to Sam and pointed. "You."

"Yes, Mr. Hummel?"

"You're the one who went after that Dave kid right? The one that fought him for Kurt?" Burt gestured to him with the coffee cup in his hand.

"Yes, sir." Sam smiled.

"And you're the one who taught Anderson to keep his hands off my son?" He took a sip. "Wish I could have done that myself."

"Yes, sir."

"And you called Finn out today on his bullshit."

"Yes, sir," Sam was grinning now.

"Okay, _you_ I like. So far. Don't screw it up." And he left the kitchen without another word.

Wow.

"Sam, you are home free baby. He's never liked someone that quickly." Kurt grinned and pulled Sam back towards him. Sam fell into Kurt and kissed him.

"Don't get me in trouble already," he warned against Kurt's mouth.

"So I guess I won't tell him that you asked me to pay you with sex?" Kurt laughed when Sam's face paled.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It didn't take long for the members of New Directions to find out Kurt and Sam were at Breadstix.

Kurt and Sam had started out at a table for two, but with the arrival of each new member of the group, they'd been forced to move to a larger table.

"So much for it being a date," Sam whispered at him.

"Kurt, it was unreal. After you two left, he just broke down. He kept muttering that you were right. It was like he was having a nervous breakdown," Puck marveled at Finn's behavior. "He got removed from Glee Club by Figgins at our request, because Mr. Shue refused to kick him out. So Coach Sylvester actually suggested that we have a council like the Warblers do. He's considering letting us, too."

Wow. That would be nice.

With a council, there wouldn't be any favoritism. Now, that was a Glee Club he could enjoy. Unfortunately, now he'd quit. He'd consider going back only if those changes actually took place.

"I don't really want to talk about this, guys. I've let Finn have too much control over my life as it is. That's over. I'd rather not discuss it."

Rachel wasn't there. She texted Kurt that Finn had asked her to be with him when Burt and Carole talked to Finn, so he'd texted back that he understood.

Britt and Santana had come, and they were sharing a plate of spaghetti and were lost in conversation with each other. They really were adorable together.

Britt had bent over and whispered "We quit, too" in Kurt's ear before the girls sat down to eat. Kurt was touched that she and Santana had done that for him. "And you are coming back to the Cheerios. Coach has a spot for you, she said."

"Really?" That wasn't totally unexpected. Sue Sylvester had a soft spot for him, and she'd do as much as she could to help him. Eventually, she'd torture him and make him wish he'd never rejoined, but she did that to all her Cheerios. It was her form of tough love. "I'll think about it."

Tina and Mike had hugged Kurt, but they'd gotten a smaller table off to the side where they could be alone. Artie and Puck were bonding over something having to do with community service jobs, but Quinn was noticeably absent. She could hold a grudge for a while, it seemed.

Even Blaine was there, but he was definitely not texting, which was unusual. It was unusual and weird that he was even here at all, actually. Kurt would have assumed he'd be with Sebastian.

Kurt glanced at Blaine, and then he turned back to meet Sam's gaze, and the blonde nodded his head gently. Kurt wouldn't attempt to talk to Blaine if it made Sam uncomfortable in any way. They would have a long way to go before Kurt could ever consider Blaine a good friend again, but it wouldn't hurt to try. They'd go their separate ways after this school year anyway, since Blaine was still a junior and Kurt would be off at Kent State.

"Blaine. You okay?" Kurt offered him a basket of breadsticks.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about your eye, Kurt. I really didn't mean to do that."

"I know. I shouldn't have called Sebastian that. It was rude. I knew how you felt about him, and I did it on purpose."

"Yeah, well you were right." Blaine sat back in irritation.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked him.

"He _IS_ a whore. That afternoon, after I left Kurt's house, I went straight to Dalton to see him. I walked into his dorm and found him with his cock in Blake Hanson's mouth. And Hanson isn't even a Warbler." Blaine threw his napkin down on the table.

As if the boy not being a Warbler made it worse somehow.

Still. _Ouch_. "The same day?" Kurt winced.

"Yes." Blaine held up his soda to take a drink.

Puck slung his arm around Blaine's shoulders and grinned at Kurt. "Well you see, Hobbit. The problem is that you picked a Douchebag instead of a Bad-ass."

Blaine choked on his soda. Literally choked, and the entire table erupted in laughter.

"I so knew that was coming," Kurt pointed at Blaine. "How did you not see that coming Hobbit? He's been making eyes at you for months."

Blaine's head shot up and he looked straight at Puck. "You have? But aren't you straight?"

"Puckzilla is what I refer to as everybody-sexual. And Puckzilla cannot be tamed." Puck shrugged but relaxed his arm across Blaine's shoulders.

"You are a match made in heaven. Puck, he seriously needs some fight club instruction. He couldn't even knock me down," Kurt mocked gently.

Blaine stuck out his tongue at Kurt. "You aren't even supposed to talk about it, you know."

"See what I mean, Puck? Total amateur. He isn't even intimidating."

Puck wasn't listening because he appeared to be distracted by Blaine's tongue.

Kurt shook his head and just looked away. There was no hope for either of them.

Kurt and Blaine really were just better off being friends. The easy way they'd drifted back into teasing showed that maybe it wouldn't take as long to get Blaine back to himself. There was no sign of angry Blaine tonight. Kurt had an idea that maybe angry Blaine was a product of douchey Sebastian. Or maybe Angry Kurt had frightened him away earlier today, Kurt thought with a snort.

Kurt felt Sam's hand on his leg, and his eyes traveled over Sam's face. "I love you," Sam mouthed to him.

"I love you, too" he repeated silently.

Mercedes arrived without the infamous Shane in tow, and she headed straight over to their table. She smiled but didn't ask to sit with them. "Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"Can we talk? Sam too if you want."

"Mercedes, I'm done with secrets. If there is something you want to say, you can do it here."

"While we were in the auditorium today, I realized something. I realized that I'm not much better than Finn. I've tried to bully you, too. I've withheld my friendship with you over stupid things like who you are in a relationship with, and I've done it your lack of religion, and I'm sure a lot of other reasons too. And I've been such a bitch to you and Sam recently. I think I just let Shane's popularity get to me. And I'm sorry. And Sam, I'm sorry about the other day. In the classroom. That was uncalled for. Kurt was right about what he said that night at the sleepover. I was being petty. But I was angry over being called out for being petty. So in return, I did something else that was also petty. Vicious circle kind of thing."

"Yes, it was," Kurt answered for him. "But you'll be happy to know, you were actually the driving force behind Sam and I getting back together."

Kurt got up and hugged her. "This is a start. And I'm sorry for being so vicious when I called you out. I probably could have been a bit nicer about it."

"But I was insulting your man," she laughed.

"She was?" Sam perked up.

"Yes, now scoot over here closer, _my man_, and let her sit down," Kurt smiled and pulled Sam's chair closer to him.

"If I do, does that mean I'm forgiven and no public humiliation will be necessary?" Sam asked.

"After what you said about me loving you today, you are forgiven for whatever you do in the next five years.

"Sweet!" Sam brought his fist down in celebration.

"But there may still be need for humiliation," Kurt interrupted his display.

"Why humiliation?" Mercedes asked, and Sam groaned.

"Because he hasn't spent nearly as much time wooing me as he did wooing you. So therefore, he must pay."

"That makes a strange kind of sense, Sam."

"Thanks. Thanks so much."

xoxoxoxoxoxox

A/N

I fought with myself over allowing Kurt to forgive Blaine and Mercedes so quickly, but based on Kurt's canon behaviors, I think he probably would forgive them like this. He'd at least give Mercedes a chance to prove herself since they'd been friends for so long.

I'd like to think Kurt and Blaine would do the guy thing of bonding after a fight, so that's why I had Kurt forgive him so quickly. He's so into the Hummel School of Take a Fucking Punch, he'd adore mocking Blaine for that.

Scroll up and read "Yes, now scoot over here closer, _my man_, and let her sit down" again in your head.

Now, picture Kurt during the Glee tour when he asked Brittany "Are you flirting with _my man_?" That's how I heard this as I typed it. lol


	11. Chapter 11

Kurt had spent all day watching Rachel Berry because the girl was falling apart.

It had been weeks since Finn had started therapy, and the therapist wanted him to get a consultation with a psychiatrist. Burt had told him that the therapist thought Finn was depressed.

Kurt didn't know if he was, but if it was only depression, it sure didn't explain enough for him. What Finn had been doing to him was a manipulation that Kurt would have never thought was possible from Finn Hudson. Honestly, he would have never thought Finn was smart enough to plan it. He'd prefer to think that Finn wasn't even aware that he'd been doing it, but Kurt wasn't convinced.

Either way, Burt and Carole had agreed that Kurt could take the high-road of self-preservation this time. They didn't expect him to be there to support Finn, and they didn't require that he be added to Finn's family sessions. Maybe one day. But not anytime soon.

Those might be helpful for Finn, but they would just make Kurt's own counseling less beneficial. Kurt liked his counselor. She didn't give off any homophobe vibes, and she didn't get freaked out that he was an atheist. She thought maybe Kurt could end his sessions by the end of the school year. That was promising.

Kurt was sure doing better than Rachel.

Kurt whispered to Sam that he'd see him at lunch, kissed him, gestured to Rachel, and Sam nodded. They were so good at communicating it was scary sometimes. Scary but wonderful.

Kurt intercepted her in the hallway. Rachel looked up at him, burst into tears, and fell into his embrace.

"Come on, sweetie." Kurt led her into the choir room since it was the closest. Nobody would be in there at this time anyway.

"K-Kurt, you were so right about h-him!" Rachel sobbed into his shoulder.

"Sweetie, what is it?" Kurt held on to her tightly and rubbed her back.

"Finn. He asked me to marry him. And he keeps trying to make me answer him."

That asshole. He was in no position to take care of a wife, when he wasn't emotionally stable enough to take care of himself.

He was _still_ doing it. Still trying to find someone who would worship him and make him the center of their universe. Because he didn't know how to live without that.

"Oh, Rachel. I'm sorry honey."

He was making her choose between her dream, NYADA and Broadway, and him. All because he was too scared to be alone. He didn't deserve Rachel. He didn't deserve Quinn. But he didn't care about that. All he cared about was having someone in his life.

"It's worse than that, Kurt. Last night. He…" Rachel took a deep breath and wiped tears from her eyes. "He said if I didn't marry him, he didn't have anything else to live for!" She sobbed back onto his shoulder again. "If I say no, what if he… what if he?"

_Oh, dear god_.

She felt her only answer would be to say yes because that's the only answer Finn would take. And he'd threaten her into it if he had to. That's what he'd forced her into with this.

"Rachel, you listen to me! You are not going to let him manipulate you into this! I will not allow it. He's done too much to both of us already!" Kurt felt tears fall down his face.

He had to help fix this. Finn could not be allowed to get away with this. Rachel would crack under the pressure of this, and it would destroy her.

"I don't know what to do!" Rachel cried and the sound was heartbreaking. "I need to talk to Quinn."

"Honey, we'll fix this. Give me some time. We have to talk to some people, and we have to warn them of what he threatened. You will get through this. I promise you, Rachel Berry." Kurt pulled back enough to look her in the face, but she didn't smile.

She probably couldn't smile, and a Rachel Berry who couldn't do that was one who was broken.

"Rachel, call your dads. You need to check-out and go home. I'll handle everybody here. Tell you dads exactly what you told me."

Rachel nodded and pulled out her phone to dial. He pulled her hand and let her talk while he dragged her through the hallways.

He was going to find Quinn and she was going to talk to them whether she liked it or not. He didn't care how much of a stupid grudge she had against him after that damn sleepover. "Hang on sweetie, we're going to find Quinn."

Rachel ended her call abruptly, "They're letting me check out on my own. Can you drive me? I don't think I can drive right now."

"Of course, honey. I'll let Sam and Dad know where we are."

"QUINN!" He shouted at her as she ducked into the girls' bathroom.

Quinn turned, saw the expression on Rachel's face, and held the bathroom door open for them, gesturing them to go ahead of her.

"What's going on?" Quinn leaned against the nearest sink.

"Has Finn ever? Does Finn? Hell, I don't even know how to ask it." Kurt paced back and forth in front of her. "Tell her, Rach."

"He's pressuring me to marry him, and he told me last night that if I didn't say yes, he didn't have anything else to live for."

Everybody in Glee knew how Finn had fallen apart, so there wasn't anybody that would take that for less than the threat that it was.

"Oh, my god! That selfish bastard! I'm so sorry, Rachel!" She pulled Rachel into a hug, and Rachel started sobbing again. Quinn rocked her back and forth and soothed her.

"What am I supposed to do? What if he kills himself if I say no? I can't say no like that!" Rachel cried.

"He's doing it again. He can't stand not being the fucking center of somebody's world so he'll guilt her into marrying him? What the fuck is wrong with him?" Kurt shouted.

Kurt pulled out his phone and hit the contact button for his father. "You two stay here. I'm going to talk to someone about this." He stepped outside once Burt answered.

"Dad. Finn has crossed the line now. I'm checking out. Rachel's losing it. She's already called her dads and they're letting her go home. What did he _do_? He proposed to her and then suggested to her than if she didn't marry him, he didn't have anything else worth living for. Yeah. I'll bring her. She's scared to death that if she says no, he's going to kill himself. Okay. We'll meet you and Carole there."

He disconnected and then pulled up Sam's number.

**From Kurt: Baby, Finn has gone off the deep end. Rachel's losing it. I'm checking out with her and taking her home.**

**From Sam: K whr will u be aftr school? ill kum to u.**

**From Kurt: At Rachel's.**

**From Sam: K luv u. give her hug frm me. ill get puck to bring me**

**From Kurt: I will. I love you too.**

Kurt warned Principal Figgins that he was checking out and taking Rachel home. Not that the man was very useful in these situations. Kurt had been disappointed to find out that Figgins had only agreed to oust Finn from Glee because Sue had pulled out the big guns against him and forced him to throw Finn out. He wasn't surprised, but still disappointed. It would be nice to have a principal who actually backed students up occasionally.

He had another reason to be thankful to Sue Sylvester. Maybe he'd take her up on that position with the Cheerios after all. When all this Finn drama died down.

He also gave Ms. Pillsbury a heads up on the situation. It wouldn't be very helpful because she was involved with Mr. Schuester, and that man would defend Finn until he was on his deathbed. But as the school counselor, she should at least know what was going on with Rachel.

Then he, Quinn and Rachel left for the Berry home.

Hiram and Leroy were waiting for her, and she burst into tears again when she spotted them. She told them the whole story, the heartbreak and concern pouring from her unchecked once she was with her fathers.

Kurt stood by, listening and watching out the window for Burt and Carole to get there. Quinn was sitting with Rachel and rubbing her back gently, supporting her quietly. Quinn had a look of determination on her face. It probably matched Kurt's. They would not let Finn do this to Rachel.

Quinn seemed to be the only one to get away from Finn somewhat unscathed, unless she was just hiding her scars inside. She'd had been through too much to put up with Finn, too. Maybe after all this, maybe he and Quinn could sit down and go over everything that happened over Sam. Rachel, Quinn and Kurt needed each other right now.

When Burt and Carole arrived, Kurt met them at the door and told them everything he knew and had heard Rachel spill to her fathers. And then the four parents took over. It was nice knowing that they didn't have to struggle on their own to deal with Finn's insecurity.

Carole looked devastated, and Kurt pulled her into a hug. "None of this. None of this has anything to do with you. You are an amazing mother." he whispered in her ear.

Carole hugged him back but she didn't respond. It broke his heart to think that she might not believe that. She truly was amazing, and Kurt couldn't bear it if she blamed herself for Finn's behavior.

Kurt went back to his post at the window, and pretty soon he saw Sam get dropped off by Puck. Sam waved him away and headed inside. Kurt met him at the door with a quick kiss, and they walked into the living room. Kurt addressed the parents who were huddling together and formulating a plan to deal with this latest problem.

"I'm taking Rachel to her room. She's had enough today, okay?"

They all agreed, and the four teenagers headed upstairs.

"Can we not… not talk about it anymore?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Of course sweetie," Kurt hugged her. "Can I fill Sam in later?"

Rachel nodded at him, "Yeah, I'm fine with that, Kurt."

Sam nodded and winked at her, and then he threw his jacket and backpack down on the floor next to her bed. He relaxed on Rachel's bed as if he'd done it a thousand times. Which he probably had, since he'd been living with the Berrys since he came back from Kentucky. He looked comfortable, and Kurt wanted nothing more than to lounge right there with him and ignore the entire world. Sam gestured to show Kurt that there was room for him, and Kurt climbed onto the bed and leaned up against his chest. Sam wordlessly wrapped his arms around Kurt and sighed.

Rachel lay down at the foot of her bed, her legs brushing against Sam's. She was almost in a fetal position, and her head was on Quinn's lap. Quinn was brushing Rachel's hair out of her face, but she was staring off at the wall, lost in her own thoughts. Nobody seemed to be willing to talk about anything at all. It was a strange but comfortable silence that nobody wanted to break.

Quinn's phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to check the incoming message. "It's Mercedes. Wondering why we aren't in Glee."

"What are you doing now that Shue is out of Glee?" Sam asked.

"Coach Sylvester actually convinced Figgins to let us run it ourselves with a council. They decided on five members. Three are seniors and two juniors. All of us voted on the council members, and the majority out of the five rules. It was surprisingly easy to set up," Quinn answered without looking away from her phone. She was probably texting Mercedes on behalf of Rachel as well.

"So who did you vote in?" Kurt held Sam's hand and idly played with his fingers as he asked.

He would have loved to have that on his NYADA application. Being a council member would have looked good. Not that it mattered now since he hadn't gotten a finalist spot anyway. It was just a matter of what could have been.

"Actually, we only filled four spots. Rachel and I are two of the seniors. Artie and Tina were the juniors elected."

"I'm surprised Santana didn't get a spot," Sam shared a glance with Kurt.

"Actually, she did. But she turned it down," Rachel's voice was scratchy, but that was to be expected due to how much she'd been sobbing earlier.

"Why?" Kurt asked.

"Because she says that spot belongs to you," Quinn smiled at him.

Kurt felt like his throat would close up on him. "She said that?"

It was nice having Santana on his side. She could be an amazing ally when she cared enough about a person. She and Britt made an incredible pair, and he already knew Britt would always be behind him.

"Yes, she did. And everybody else agreed. So, you know, you may _have_ to come back. With only four members, we'll be deadlocked on every decision," Quinn laughed wryly. "You really don't have much choice. Nobody else will take the spot."

Sam's chest rumbled beneath him. "She's right, you know. You deserve that spot, Kurt."

"Will you come back with me?" Kurt looked back at him. "I can't do it without you, you know."

"Of course, baby."

"Okay, I'll come to the next meeting and see if they still want me there. Now is there any other good news to share?"

"I got into Yale. Early admissions," Quinn smiled shyly.

"Quinn!" Rachel shot up out of her lap. "That's amazing!" She hugged her somewhat awkwardly, thanks to the limited space of having four people sprawled out on the bed.

"That's wonderful Quinn!" Sam agreed.

Kurt smiled at her, "Go You! That's awesome."

"I'm still in a little bit of shock, I think. My mom is supportive of it. Dad's still. Well, he's still Dad." She shrugged. Mr. Fabray hadn't been supportive of Quinn since her pregnancy in her sophomore year.

Sam nudged him. "Tell them your news."

"Well, you both know I didn't get into NYADA."

Rachel's face fell again, but he kicked her ankle gently.

"Hey, I'm okay with it. I'll admit that I wasn't at first. But I have other plans now. Kent State awarded me a scholarship that is funded by a private design foundation. A full four year scholarship. They haven't awarded it in three years. They were majorly impressed with my design portfolio. The last recipient of the scholarship got a two year internship in New York after graduation."

"Kurt, that's wonderful! I didn't know you were considering design schools, too!" Rachel smiled.

"You should have. I've only been working on this portfolio for years," he laughed. "I've always planned to apply to both design and musical theatre schools. I only got into one of those, and it's in North Carolina. I really think I'll be happy in the KSU program," he added.

Sure, Broadway was a dream, but so was designing. As far as he was concerned, as long as he had a life in New York, preferably with Sam, either field would make him happy.

"How is your NYADA audition going?" Kurt asked Rachel.

She blushed, but he could tell she'd been dying to tell someone about it. "So far, it's going okay. I don't know if I'll get in, but there are other schools in New York that have accepted me if NYADA doesn't. So I'm content for now. I'm a finalist for Tisch, too."

"Rachel, that's wonderful! You'll get accepted for sure." Kurt felt genuinely happy for her.

"What about you, Sam?" Quinn looked up at him.

"Actually, I have been meaning to tell you this, Kurt."

Sam was applying to schools to study psychology. He wanted to study the field of learning and cognition with emphasis on learning disabilities. And Kurt couldn't be prouder of him. He wanted to apply what he knew about learning problems into a lifelong goal of helping others. It was a very Sam thing to do. He also wanted to minor in art because he wanted to continue to explore his creative side. He wanted to teach kids with spelling and language based learning problems how to communicate more easily through art. Kurt had cried when Sam had first explained his passion to him. He could combine his love of drawing with his desire to help children.

"Did you get the letter?" Kurt turned in his arms with excitement.

"Yes. I'm in. Kent State University. Department of Psychology. Research focus in Cognitive Psychology. I got enough financial aid and grants to cover almost all of my tuition and room and board. I'll only owe a few thousand dollars per semester, and I've already saved up about half of that for the fall semester. Mom and Dad are going to help as much as they can."

Kurt squealed loud enough that he was sure the parents could hear it downstairs. He wrapped his arms around Sam and kissed him soundly.

Sam had kept the application to Kent State quiet for the longest time, but he'd surprised Kurt a little while ago when he told Kurt where he'd applied. He'd also applied to a lot of Ohio schools because in-state tuition would be more affordable for him. He also added that he hadn't told Kurt he'd applied to Kent State on purpose. He didn't want it to be a factor in Kurt's own decisions.

He'd mentioned that he'd been able to get some assistance for Ohio State as well, but he admitted that he'd rather be closer to Kurt. And the psychology program at Kent State was wonderful. Kurt hadn't dared to hope that Sam would get in. It wasn't that he thought Sam wouldn't be accepted on his merits. It was because so much always seemed to go wrong for the two of them, and he wanted so badly for Sam to get to be with him at Kent State.

"That's wonderful, guys." Quinn beamed at them.

"Now I know why you aren't so heartbroken over NYADA," Rachel teased with a smile.

"Actually Berry," Kurt smirked and stuck out his tongue at her. "I accepted the Kent State scholarship before this stubborn blonde even told me he'd applied there."

Both girls laughed, and Rachel settled back down with her head on Quinn's lap.

A knock on the door preceded the voice of Hiram Berry. "Honey, you doing okay?"

"Yes, Dad. I'm okay." Rachel got up and hugged him.

"You all can come downstairs for dinner. The Hummels are staying for a little bit, and then they have to get back home." It was unspoken that they'd be going home to Finn.

"Can Kurt and Quinn stay?" Rachel looked at both of them a little unsurely. Quinn nodded, and Kurt was willing. He'd been trying to avoid family dinners as much as possible since the incident with Finn.

"If they want to. We'll have plenty." Hiram smiled and left the room.

"I better go help. It's my turn to assist Leroy." Sam kissed Kurt quickly and got off the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me your family lets him cook?" Kurt looked at Rachel in astonishment. "I'd have been over here for dinner every night! He's an amazing cook."

"I know," Rachel nodded. "And he has mastered a lot of vegan recipes."

"I _so_ need to marry him someday," Kurt sighed, as he stared at the now empty doorway.

Both girls agreed and erupted with laughter.

_Uh oh_.

"Did I say that out loud?" He asked, and he was sure he was blushing harder than he ever had before.

"Yes, you did." They answered in unison.


	12. Chapter 12

Sam rode home with Kurt after school the next day, and Sam had the opportunity to get filled in on Finn's latest problem. He hadn't bothered Rachel with it the night before because he sensed she wasn't ready to talk about it anymore. She'd unloaded so much emotional baggage on Kurt and her dads that she was just too tired.

Sam had given her a hug and sent her off the bed the night before, but he had stayed up and thought about Finn. He was still angry at him for what he'd done to Kurt, but Sam honestly felt sorry for him as well. How miserable must he be to be that desperate for someone to love him? Sam found it very sad. Finn needed more help than anybody had ever realized.

Kurt had told him on the way home that he and Carole had decided to have Finn seen by a psychiatrist on an inpatient basis. They were going to evaluate him for seventy-two hours and possibly put him on medications. The therapist had gotten involved, and they felt that Finn may have actually meant the suggestion that he'd his own life if Rachel didn't marry him. No one would ever know for sure, Sam guessed. Only Finn knew if that had been a true threat.

Either way, it was cruel to do that to Rachel. To put that load on her and make her feel as if she held Finn's life in the palms of her hands.

Sam followed Kurt inside the Hummel-Hudson house, and he dropped his belongings off near the couch. Kurt headed for the kitchen and brought back two sodas for them. Sam took one from him, popped open the tab, and sat down on the couch.

"How was Rachel last night?" Kurt asked as he crashed on the couch next to him.

"Eh. Now that I know what he did, she's doing about as good as can be expected. She went to bed early."

"I feel so bad for her. I can't imagine going through that kind of pressure," Kurt grimaced.

"Come here." Sam pulled Kurt's feet onto his lap. Sam liked this position, and it felt natural to cuddle with Kurt this way.

"Dad and Carole are going with Finn this weekend. They are keeping him during the whole time, and they're going up to do some inpatient family sessions. They decided to just stay there for the weekend because it'll be easier than driving back and forth each day. Carole took some leave days from work, and Dad is letting his assistant run the shop."

"Probably a good idea," Sam nodded. "So Glee. That was unreal."

"I can't believe they just kept that spot open for me," Kurt marveled.

"I can. You're the heart of that club. It wasn't the same without you when you were at Dalton. Everybody may give you hell, but they'd all miss you too much if you left for good. This way is good. No Shue favoritism and no Finn. Maybe we can salvage a Nationals title after all."

"That would be fun. We'd still have to arrange for teacher volunteers for the trips. But I guess we can figure that out later."

They were still sitting in the same position, talking, when Burt came home. The members of New Directions had all but demanded that Kurt take the third senior council position. Blaine had even brought Kurt a gavel, which made both of them burst out laughing. Kurt explained later that it had something to do with a former Dalton Warbler named Wes, and his unhealthy attachment to his own gavel.

Burt stopped in the living room and stared at both of them. Sam started to get uncomfortable, and he wondered if shoving Kurt's feet off his lap might be a prudent move at this time. He was torn between just cradling Kurt's legs and throwing Kurt off the couch and running for his life.

Kurt snorted at him. His face must be a dead giveaway for what directions his thoughts had gone.

"You!" Burt pointed to Kurt. "You need to make yourself scarce. I need to talk to him."

"Dad? Is something wrong?"

Oh, god. This was it. He'd done something he couldn't even remember doing, and he was about to die. Or Burt had found out about Sam having sex with Kurt last year. Or he'd found out about Sam always dragging Kurt into empty classrooms and corridors and making out with him. Or he'd just figured out that Sam had even been _thinking_ about getting into Kurt's pants. He was a dead man.

Burt snorted at the look on Sam's face as well. Like father, like son.

"You just remembering something I should know about, Sam?" Burt questioned.

"Um. No, sir. I'm just trying to figure out what I might have done wrong."

"Dad, don't kill him. I happen to love him," Kurt kissed Sam on the cheek and whispered, "Good luck Anakin."

"Why do you always assume I'm going to kill the guys you go out with?" Burt glared at his son.

"Because you usually threaten to do just that." Kurt shrugged and left the room. He was abandoning Sam a little too quickly and without any argument, and Sam didn't know how he felt about that. He was learning toward describing it as betrayed.

"Follow me, Evans." Burt led the way into the kitchen.

"Sir, have I done something wrong?"

"Not that I know of. I just want to talk to you about something. I talked to your parents today." Burt gestured for Sam to sit at the table, and Sam did.

"What about?"

"Well, you did know that I've been keeping in contact with them ever since Finn and Rachel went down to Kentucky to get you, right?"

Sam nodded. The Berrys were in constant contact with his family as well. Both families had shared the responsibility, and he'd agreed with his parents' wishes to have both sets of parents keep in touch.

"Well, I promised them that I'd talk to you about this, even though I know it's really none of my business. We talked about you getting accepted to Kent State."

Sam's breath whooshed out of him in relief. That was all it was about. He could handle talking about that. It was a much safer subject than Sam's desire to see Kurt naked. Soon. And often. _That_ he couldn't handle having brought up in conversation with Burt Hummel. Not unless Sam was hiding behind bullet-proof glass.

"Oh, okay. Yes, I did. And I do want you to know that Kurt didn't decide on KSU because of me. I refused to even tell him I applied there until after he accepted that scholarship. I didn't want him turning down something he desperately wanted at another school just to stay with me."

Burt looked at him with obvious approval, and Sam flushed and continued, "But I will admit that I chose KSU because he'll be there. I applied to a lot of Ohio schools, and some gave me just as much financial assistance that KSU did. But none of them would have had Kurt. KSU's psych program is very good, and the art program is phenomenal. So it's not as if I'm making a sacrifice by going there."

Burt nodded. "You have a very good head on your shoulders, Sam. I like that."

"Thank you, sir."

"I wanted you to know that I've always had a soft spot for you. Kurt talks about you a lot, still does. He did even before you two got together. I knew he liked you, and he regretted that duet fiasco that came between you. I also knew you were different when I found out that you fought Dave Karofsky for Kurt. You earned my respect that day without me ever having met you. Because you went to bat for my son when nobody else at that school ever had. And I don't think I've properly thanked you for that."

"You don't have to thank me, sir." But it felt nice, Sam would have to admit.

"Yes, I do. And I see how my son is with you. It's different than when he was with Blaine. You bring out something in Kurt that most people don't see. It's different, and it's good. You're good for him."

"He's good for me, too, Mr. Hummel."

Sam was going to cry. He was going to break down and sob like a little girl, he just knew it. Then Mr. Hummel would be embarrassed, and then Kurt would cry when Sam got upstairs. And Sam would end up a freaking mess on the floor of Kurt's bedroom if this conversation continued much longer.

"I believe that. I'd like you to also know that I said all of this to your parents as well. Just so you'll be prepared the next time you talk to them. But none of that is why I asked you in here."

"Sir?"

"I want to pay for the remainder of your tuition that your financial aid and grants won't pay. I already talked to your parents, and they originally argued with me. They also added that you would most likely argue about it, too. But they admitted that they can't afford to help you as much as they'd like, especially since your dad's job isn't exactly steady right now. And thanks to his scholarship, I'm certainly saving enough money on Kurt's college costs that I can afford a few thousand dollars per semester so that you don't have to work yourself to death getting the money."

Sam broke down and cried like a little girl. Just like he figured he'd do. He pressed his fingers to his eyes to stem the tears, but it didn't work. It never worked.

"B-but how did you know about it the money?"

"Kurt told me about it last night. About all of it relating to your choice in schools. The art therapy. The research for learning disabilities. You deserve to be able to go to college without having to worry about where the tuition for the next semester will come from. And he doesn't know I'm telling you this, by the way. Your parents put up a good fight, but they ultimately agreed to let me do this. Now, all I need is _your _permission."

"I can't believe that you'd want to do this for me," Sam was beyond surprised. He had crossed over into the land of borderline comatose with shock.

Maybe he shouldn't have been though. Kurt was just as supportive and kind to Sam and his family. Kurt had bent over backwards to help him last year. And he'd had to have gotten that trait from somewhere. The Hummel men were strong allies to have when a person felt like the whole world was against him.

"Well, I do. Now, will you let me?" Burt asked again.

"Y-yes, sir. I won't even argue about it since it obviously didn't work for Mom and Dad," he laughed. "I don't know what I've done to deserve your generosity, but I promise you, I'll appreciate it for the rest of my life."

"Good. And I won't even make some kind of insane requirement that you keep your hands off my son, either," Burt laughed into his coffee cup.

That was good because Sam was sure he'd never be able to follow through on that one.

"And for the record, no matter how your relationship with Kurt goes; even if three years from now, you aren't together, the offer still stands. This isn't about the _two_ of you. This is about _you_ and the fact that you deserve a chance at a good future."

Burt watched him closely, and Sam stood to hold out his hand to Mr. Hummel. They shook hands, and then Burt pulled him into a hug. "And call me Burt."

"Okay, Burt. Thank you."

"Now go upstairs and tell him. I can tell you're just bursting to do it."

Sam nodded and ran to Kurt's room.

Kurt was sitting on his bed thumbing through his latest Vogue. When Kurt looked up and spotted the tears on Sam's face, he bolted off the bed and came towards him.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are your parents okay? Your brother and sister alright?"

Kurt's questions came rapid-fire at him, but Sam couldn't even answer him because he was crying too hard to even speak. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him close.

"Sam, what is it?" Kurt's voice in his ear sounded genuinely worried now.

"Your dad…. He's…. H-he's going to pay for the rest of my tuition. Whatever the grants and financial aid won't pay. He's already talked to my parents about it." He muttered into Kurt's shoulder.

"Oh, Sam," Kurt whispered. "I told you he was crazy about you."

"But he's paying it _for me_, Kurt."

"Yes, honey. I heard you," Kurt reminded gently.

"But Kurt…" Sam tried again. Obviously, Kurt did not understand the significance of this.

"Shh. I know." Kurt soothed.

"So I don't have to work my butt off to save up the money, he said."

"Well, that's wonderful, because your butt is too cute to work off. I'd miss it."

"But Kurt, he's doing it for _me_. He says _I'm_ good for you." As if that was really true. When all could Sam think was how lucky _he_ was to have Kurt in _his_ life.

"Well, he would be right about that."

"But Kurt…"

"Sam, no matter how many times ways you say it, it's going to come out the same." Kurt leaned back and kissed him gently.

"Your dad is amazing," Sam breathed.

He felt a little pathetic that he'd broken down so badly in front of both of the Hummel men.

"I know," Kurt squeezed Sam a little tighter and let his own tears fall. He pulled Sam towards the bed and sat him down. "Do you want to watch Avatar? I'll let you rewind all your favorite parts as many times as you want."

Sam laughed and fell backwards. "I must look pathetic if you're willing to let me do that."

Kurt put the movie into the DVD player, pressed play, and then spread himself across the bed next to Sam. "Not pathetic. Adorable and maybe a little overwhelmed. With maybe a touch of crybaby little girl," Kurt smirked.

"Crybaby little girl?" Sam was outraged, and he shot up off the bed and glared. Kurt burst out laughing, while dodging Sam's revenge slap aimed for his butt.

So what if he'd broken down and sobbed in front of Burt. No big deal. He was not a crybaby. So what if he'd been reduced to stuttering tears in front of his boyfriend. That didn't make him a little girl.

"But, Kurt. But Kurt. But. But. Kurt!" Kurt smirked again and repeated Sam's words back at him.

"You are going to pay for that, Hummel."

Sam stalked across the bed on his hands and knees, "I'll show you who cries like a little girl." He grabbed Kurt's leg out from under and pulled him down, sliding him across the mattress and closer to Sam. Then he hovered over him and rested his body weight on his arms, allowing only their legs and hips to touch.

Kurt ran his hands down Sam's biceps and leaned up to kiss him. "I really thought when you said the words _Kurt_ and _but_ in the same sentence, you would be talking about something totally different. Not that you were actually forming sentences, mind you."

Sam snorted at him. "But if I were to do that, I'd be talking about your _ass_, wouldn't I? Like this." He dipped his head over Kurt's ear. "Like how you have the sweetest ass I've ever seen, you mean?" he whispered.

Kurt groaned and pressed his ear closer to Sam's mouth like he was trying to make contact with his lips.

"Or how about how those jeans you wear are so tight that your ass looks amazing, and I just want to reach out and caress it," he whispered. "How's that?"

"Sam," Kurt warned.

"Or how about if I tell you that I will always remember how it felt to be inside that gorgeous ass, and I can't wait for the chance to do it again," Sam breathed against his mouth.

"Sam," Kurt moaned and pulled Sam's head down to him.

"_GET THAT DOOR OPEN!_"

_Shit. _

Sam scrambled off the bed and jerked the door to Kurt's bedroom open. He hadn't even noticed that he'd closed it when he came into the room.

Kurt was on the bed, overcome with silent laughter. His head was thrown back and his forearm was draped across his eyes. He'd been totally cock-blocked too, but he thought it was funny? Completely unfair.

"Dammit, Burt," Sam whispered. "SORRY BURT," he called out while staring at Kurt accusingly.

Kurt's eyebrow rose, "It's Burt now, is it?"

"Shut up. He asked me to call him that while we were talking."

Kurt adjusted his position to relax back onto his elbows, and he crossed his ankles. "He did, huh?" And he broke out into more of those damned, cute-as-hell giggles.

"What's so freaking funny? He cock-blocked you too!"

"I find it funny that the first time I heard you use my father's first name, you took his name in vain." Kurt smiled at him. "Dammit, Burt!" Kurt attempted an impression of Sam's frustrated curse.

"Great. I'm finally on a first name basis with him and I almost jump you in his house!"

"Um. You didn't _almost_ jump me. You _did_ jump me. Well, you crawled on top of me, which was actually much sexier. There was no jumping involved and there was definitely no _almost_ involved," Kurt grinned at him.

"Not helping," Sam grabbed his books and threw them on the bed.

"When did I say I was trying to _help_ you? I _might_ just yell out something about how you're trying to take advantage of me, just to see how quickly you bolt out of this room."

"_You_ are evil." Sam pointed at his boyfriend and pulled out his homework and got started on it.

"Never denied it."

"You will pay for this."

Kurt got off the bed to get his own homework, and then he plopped back down on it. "You still owe me some wooing. You totally have to pay that before you can even think about making _me_ pay up." Kurt held up a finger when Sam opened his mouth. "Jumping me is not wooing."

Sam shut his mouth quickly.

Yes, that was probably for the best. He wouldn't let Kurt's angelic but smart-ass mouth get him into trouble again.

Even if that mouth felt amazing against his skin. And his lips. And his… Never mind.

He'd pushed his luck already today.

If he jumped Kurt again, which is what he really wanted to do, Burt would kill him.

And it really wouldn't be fair if he were killed before he could have sex with Kurt again.


	13. Chapter 13

There may be what is most likely a badly written Kum/Hevans smut scene here. Possibly. Just consider that a warning. Move along if you feel there's nothing to see here. Thank you. If it's badly written or not badly written, feedback would be appreciated. Smut isn't something I write often.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"I have a surprise for you, Sam Evans."

Kurt found his boyfriend staring out of the bedroom window, hands in his pockets in a sexy slouch against the window frame.

Sam turned and pulled Kurt to him, fitting him between his legs, and grinning. "Really?"

"Really. We're going somewhere tonight. Dad and Carole left for the hospital, and my only orders were that there was no funny business to be engaged in while inside _this_ house."

"Wow, he's slipping. Isn't he usually more specific and thorough with those mandates?" Sam chuckled and kissed Kurt on the lips.

"Yes, and he left before he could remember that he worded it that way. But believe it or not, you get fewer mandates than Blaine ever did. Well, I'm sure being eighteen has something to do with that. But it's also because he loves you. Because you're so adorable and sweet. And trustworthy. He probably doesn't even suspect that you try to debauch his son every opportunity you get."

"And I'd appreciate it if he could continue to believe that, by the way," Sam smirked.

"You have him wrapped around your finger more than I do, I think. But that could change Evans."

Kurt's voice went up an octave. "_Oh, Dad. I didn't know what Sam was going to do to me. It wasn't my fault Dad. It was S-sam. All Sam, Dad_. _I didn't even know that he knew how to do that…with his… with his fingers, Dad_."

Sam's eyes bugged, "You wouldn't?"

"Evil, remember? Try me, Evans." Kurt smirked and grabbed his hand, pulling him out the door and through the house. Kurt stopped to grab his bag in the living room, and he dug into it.

"You'll get me killed," Sam strangled. "Then you'd miss me."

"True. I'd be very lonely. That would be tragic. I'd have to masturbate like, _all_ the time," Kurt grinned at him and pulled out the blindfold he'd bought for tonight.

Sam's eyes shined with excitement when he spotted the scrap of white fabric. "Is that for me _now_, or for _you_ later?"

"Maybe both. It's for you once we get in the car. I can't imagine trying to navigate you down the driveway without one of us getting hurt. And I have plans for tonight. Big plans."

They locked the door to the house and settled into the car. Sam put on the blindfold without question. So trusting of Kurt. It was just another thing Kurt loved about him. They drove for about twenty minutes, listening to music and making small talk, before Kurt stopped the car. He turned to Sam and slipped the blindfold off his face.

"This is…" Sam started.

"Yep. The motel you were staying in last year. In fact, I actually got us the same room."

Sam's eyes darkened. "The exact same room? How did you?"

"Let's just say, you're not the only one with a memory for details. And I requested that particular room."

"Okay, let's go." Sam darted out of the car and came around to the driver's side. He dragged Kurt out and slammed the door shut.

"Sam, wait." Kurt laughed. "My bag."

Sam let go of Kurt's hand and ran back to the car to get the bag off the backseat, then he shut that door with his foot and he raced back to Kurt's side. "Okay, now. Do you need to check in?" He was adorably impatient, and Kurt couldn't be upset with him.

"Nope. I did that this afternoon so we could come straight here. It's nice being eighteen." Kurt smiled and took the bag from Sam. "Come on, I'll let you stick the _key card_ in the _slot_ if you want," he snickered.

"Funny," Sam smirked. "You're hilarious. I thought I'd have to woo you more before we could do this again."

"I don't remember ever saying that. I just said that jumping me wasn't wooing. I never said that you couldn't jump me _before_ wooing. It's actually frightening how willing I am to put out for you," Kurt let Sam drag him toward the motel.

"Good point. My mistake." Sam sped up to a job to get them to the room quicker.

"Damn, you're impatient." Kurt added with a smile as he unlocked the door.

"Fuck yeah, I am," The moment the door shut, Sam grabbed the bag off Kurt's shoulder and threw it on the bed. Kurt's keys flew out of his hands and dropped to the floor nearby.

Then he flipped Kurt around and pushed him up against the door. Kurt hit the door hard enough to knock the breath out of him, but he really couldn't care.

Because this time.

This time they were going to do this _right_. They were going to spend the night together and leave this motel room knowing that they didn't have to move on or be with other people. They were going to rewind and play a new version of their relationship because they'd made too many mistakes the first time around.

Kurt had left his heart with Sam in this room last year. And this time, when they walked out, instead of an awkward goodbye and a separation, they were going to walk out together. And stay together.

Kurt sighed back against the door and his hands fell to Sam's sides. He brushed his fingertips up and down Sam's torso as Sam attacked his mouth.

The kisses were addicting. So overwhelming. So sexy. Kurt thought that just maybe he could kiss Sam forever and always be happy about it. Sam's open mouth covered his, and Kurt felt the barest touch of tongue sliding along his lower lip.

Sam's tongue slipped into his mouth, and the resulting moan from Sam sent frissons of want through Kurt. He sucked gently on Sam's bottom lip, but he let go after a few seconds to whisper, "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby." Sam met his eyes briefly before moving his hands to cup Kurt's face. "Just you. Only you. Nobody but you." He punctuated each phrase with a kiss.

He'd never get enough of Sam, of that he was unbelievable certain. Sam Evans owned his heart, and he'd owned it for a very long time. He would most likely own it forever.

"God, Kurt. Want you so much," Sam muttered as his mouth traced Kurt's jawline softly. "All the time," he whispered. One hand was buried in Kurt's hair, and the other was roaming down his body, exploring every inch of Kurt that Sam could reach.

Sam kneed Kurt's legs apart, and he pressed his lower body against him. Kurt moaned at the torture of Sam's erection brushing against his own. "S-sam," Kurt breathed.

Sam knew exactly what to do to make Kurt desperate. Just how, Kurt would never know. This would be only the second time they'd had sex, but it was as if they'd been lovers the entire time they'd been apart. Like they'd never been apart. Like there had never been anybody that had ever come between them. Kurt had missed this so much.

Kurt tilted his head to the side to allow Sam access to his neck. Kurt groaned when Sam's tongue traveled a sinful path from his collarbone to the back of his ear.

He hadn't been joking about how easily he would give himself to Sam. Sam would always have that power over him. Even though Kurt had been with Blaine, nothing Blaine had ever done could compare to Sam. Kurt had known that from the start, but he had refused to do anything about it. Because he'd been stupid to let this boy get away. And he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"Kurt, look at me," Sam's voice was broken, his face a few inches from Kurt's throat.

Kurt turned back to look at Sam, and Sam looked more desperate than Kurt felt. Sam was winded, his hair was mussed, and he was the most beautiful sight in the world.

"Yes?" Kurt managed.

"I love you." Sam tugged Kurt's shirt out of his jeans and pulled it over his head.

His hands brushed over Kurt's nipples, and Sam smiled when Kurt gasped quietly.

"I love you, too." Kurt's hands landed on Sam's jeans and began unzipping.

"I want to make love to you," Sam whispered against his mouth.

"Yes, please," Kurt smiled and pulled at Sam's shirt, digging out the tucked in hem and shoving the shirt up and off his body.

"How long do we have this room for?" His voice was a husky strain of barely contained control.

"Two nights. Till Sunday morning."

"Good. You trust me, right?" Sam unzipped Kurt's jeans slowly.

"Of course."

"The only thing we are leaving this room for until Sunday morning is food." Sam dropped to his knees and tugged Kurt's tight jeans down, caressing his legs as the fabric scraped against them.

"Works for me." Kurt kicked out of the jeans and they fell a few feet away. Sam stood and pushed Kurt back against the door again. "Kiss me."

"I'm not done talking," Sam smirked as his hand explored Kurt's ass, still clad in black boxer shorts.

"Nnngh, Sam." Sam's hands were everywhere, and it was driving Kurt insane, so he gripped Sam's arms in frustration.

"Was that English?" Sam mocked as he slowly licked Kurt's neck again.

"It was Na'vi." Kurt laughed, but he gasped when Sam gripped his ass tightly and squeezed. Sam's hand slipped under the hem of his boxers, and his fingers grazed Kurt's bare skin.

"Really? That's a new one for me. I think you made that up." Sam said against his mouth and kissed him again softly.

"It means _fuck_," Kurt licked Sam's lower lip and pulled back. "I looked it up."

"You need to show me that dictionary. There might be more Na'vi curse words I need to learn."

"Later," Kurt promised. He'd write the damn dictionary if Sam would just get back to kissing him.

"Focus, Kurt." Sam smirked at him again.

"Sam, I love you but you talk too much." Kurt ran his hands across Sam's gorgeous flat stomach. "Seriously. You do."

"I want you to agree to something," Sam trapped a hand between them. "So focus."

Kurt looked at him and waited, "yes?"

"I want to spend all weekend reminding myself of how good it feels to be inside you. I want to touch you, kiss you, and bury myself inside you until I can't remember what it's like to _not_ be there."

"Nnngh." Oh, my god, Sam was going to kill him.

"I want to do all those things to you. But I want to start all those things tomorrow morning."

Kurt's eyes darted towards him. "What?" He was _stopping_? _What the fuck_?

Sam would be the death of him. That's all there was to it. The man was going to kill him with desire, and Kurt would really rather not be so happy about it. The sin that took the form of Sam Evans would torture him into an early sexually frustrated death. Damn him. Why did he undress him then? The sexy, blonde-haired, Avatar-obsessed bastard.

"Wait. Just listen," Sam added.

Kurt dropped his gaze but then he felt Sam's lips, his breath rapid and uneven, at his ear.

"But tonight," he whispered. "Tonight I'm going to pin you to that bed. And I'm going to fuck you. Fast. Hard. And dirty. I'm going to make you beg tonight. And when I'm done driving you into that mattress over there, I'm going to flip you over and suck you until you come in my mouth. Then when my cock is ready again, I'm going to fuck you again. And I'm going to keep going until you beg for mercy."

"Nnngh," Kurt gasped and desire flooded through him, poured over him, and he'd never felt as wanted. He'd never wanted Sam as much as he did at that very moment. Not even the first time they'd been in this room. So long ago.

"God, that's like my new favorite word now. It sounds so fucking sexy coming out of that beautiful mouth of yours." Sam's whispering continued torturing him. "You have been driving me fucking insane. I promise you. Tomorrow I'll be gentle. Tomorrow I'll be sweet. But tonight I will be anything but that. And I want you to agree to that before we get in that bed."

"Sam," Kurt breathed. He wasn't sure he could formulate any words at the moment.

"Yes, baby?"

Kurt giggled and caressed his face. "_Nnngh_ me."

Sam laughed. "And you call _me_ a dork."

He led Kurt over to the bed and turned him around so that when he fell backwards, Kurt would land on his back. Kurt held up one finger to ward him off, and then he grabbed his bag. Digging in it, he brought out the lube and condoms he'd brought. Then he pushed the bag off the bed again.

"These might come in handy." He held up the supplies to show Sam, and then he fell backwards onto the bed.

Sam removed the rest of his clothes quickly, and then he leaned over to take off Kurt's boxers. Kurt lifted his hips to help, and Sam brushed his lips over Kurt's cock. Sam kissed the underside of it, and he licked the full length before he began sucking. Sam's cheeks hollowed slightly, and he swallowed each time the tip of Kurt's cock hit the back of his throat. The feeling was unbelievable, and Kurt never wanted him to stop.

"It's like my trouty mouth was made to do this," he said, staring up at Kurt's face. "Isn't it?"

"God, yes," Kurt arched his back, the motion shoving more of his cock into Sam's mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry, baby."

"Don't be sorry," Sam breathed against his skin. "I love how having sex with me brings out your religion," Sam laughed.

"Shut up," Kurt breathed. "I thought you said you were going to fuck me _before_ you did this."

"I did. Change of plans. I got distracted. Go with it," Sam answered.

"Nnngh," was all Kurt could manage.

Sam stopped sucking before Kurt could come in his mouth. It was torture, but Kurt knew he'd do it. The first time they'd had sex, he'd wanted Kurt to come when he did.

"Kurt, you are so fucking sexy," Sam's tongue started exploring again, and it traveled up his thigh and across his stomach, dipping into his navel and sliding across his nipples. "I want to taste you all the time. Sometimes it's all I think about."

Sam grabbed lube and slicked his fingers with it, not taking his beautiful eyes off Kurt's face. Kurt spread his legs and made room for Sam to kneel between them. Sam used his knees to push Kurt open even farther, and he leaned over to kiss him on the mouth again.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Sam."

"You keep distracting me. I'm supposed to just be fucking your brains out right now."

"I can see that. The romantic side is winning. You'll have to fuck that side into submission."

Sam slipped one finger inside him slowly, and Kurt moaned. He tightened up slightly, but he took a deep breath and concentrated on relaxing. They hadn't gone this far since they'd gotten back together. They'd given each other hand jobs and blow jobs, but they hadn't actually done this yet. And it had been a while since Kurt had done it at all.

Sam adjusted his fingers and slipped another one inside, stretching and adding more lube to his hand. The pressure was wonderful, and Kurt was ready to start that begging Sam wanted.

"More… please…" Kurt breathed.

Sam grinned. "Begging already?" Sam moved his fingers to add a third, and he slowly applied the most incredible pressure, stretching him farther and farther until Kurt thought he would explode. He fumbled, one handed, with the lube and he began kneading Kurt's erection with his other hand. He applied just enough friction there to make Kurt moan, but then he stopped, continuing the torture.

"Please, Sam."

Sam rolled the condom on and applied more lube to his erection. He pressed slowly inside Kurt just a few inches. Enough to Kurt to moan with impatience. He knew Sam was going slowly for a very good reason, but he just wanted Sam to fuck him. And Kurt was positive that if Sam didn't do it soon, Kurt would spontaneously combust.

Sam sank further in, slow, wonderful inches at a time, until Kurt snapped. He thrust his hips up at Sam, and he forced Sam to enter him completely. "Kurt," Sam moaned.

"Fuck me, Sam. Now." Kurt wrapped his legs around Sam's waist and ass, and he pulled Sam closer using the strength of his lower body.

Sam reached for his hands, and he pulled them down, pinning them to the bed right next to his hips. Refusing to thrust until Kurt's body had gotten used to him, he slid his knees under Kurt's ass, lifting him up slightly. Then he pulled on Kurt's wrists to drag him down the bed while he pulled back and thrust inside him.

The differing movements, the push and pull combined, forced a broken sob out of Kurt's mouth.

Sam thrust again, harder and deeper, and brushed against his prostate. And then he did it again. Sam fucked him harder, while Kurt moaned and chanted under him. Sam adjusted his hips and pounded faster, determined to do exactly what he'd said and drive Kurt into the mattress below him.

Kurt couldn't get his hands loose to release the pressure growing in his own erection. Sam wouldn't let him. The last time they'd been here, Sam had made Kurt come without even touching his cock, and obviously he was determined to repeat that feat.

Sam's broken moans above him drove Kurt crazy. Sam was chanting Kurt's name along with a collection of muttered curses that didn't form any words at all. More thrusting, and Sam came wordlessly inside him, and Kurt followed mere seconds behind him, but not wordlessly at all, coating Sam's stomach with his release. Sam pulled out gently, and he collapsed beside Kurt. He worked the condom off him and dropped it into the nearby trash can, and then he cuddled against Kurt's side.

"We didn't even pull down the blankets on the bed," Kurt laughed.

They were both naked and completely above the covers. And Kurt was starting to get cold now.

"You distracted me. I didn't have time to pull them down," Sam kissed him quickly and pulled him up. He unfolded the blanket and sheets and gestured for Kurt to slip inside.

"I can't believe we get to sleep together. All night." Kurt sighed, curling onto his side. He was a bit sore, but it wasn't anything he couldn't tolerate.

Sam slipped in behind him and spooned Kurt.

"I think I'm going to have to rethink my plan again. First I move up the ETA on the blow job, and then I get all romantic instead of down to business. Now my second wave of fucking your brains out is going to have to wait because I'm too tired and I just want to sleep beside you."

Kurt smiled, his eyes shutting against his will. "You can be all demanding and shit tomorrow, so you better rest while you can."


	14. Chapter 14

I messed up while saving the next two chapters, and their names got swapped. So originally, an unfinished chapter got uploaded as Chapter 14. This is fixed now.

So just consider that other chapter a spoiler, if you read it. LOL

Warning continues. There be smut here. That is all.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Saturday morning came much earlier than Kurt had anticipated, but that's mainly because they hadn't stayed up nearly as late as they'd planned. If he had to guess, they'd drifted off to sleep by at least nine the night before. He'd intended to stay up and enjoy more bouts of amazing sex, but Sam had driven all the energy out of him.

Kurt turned and found Sam's beautiful sleeping face. His eyelashes were long and they fluttered slightly with each breath Sam took. His nose flared a little, and soft snores were coming from him. And that beautiful trouty mouth was closed, the lips almost pursed together in his sleep.

Sam was so beautiful, Kurt wondered how in the world Sam could be his. Not that he was complaining. Kurt would take him, and keep him, whether he deserved him or not. And he'd _finally_ gotten to wake up to _this_ face.

Sam had let go of him during the night, and he slipped out of the bed and into the bathroom. He came back with a wet washcloth that he'd run under hot water, but it was quickly losing its warmth as Kurt walked back to the bed. Sam would surely wake up when Kurt used this against his torso.

Kurt slowly washed Sam's stomach, and Sam was reacting to the now cold touch of the fabric. Kurt slid the washcloth over Sam's cock, and he found it to be on its way to hardening for him. Sam's head flipped back and forth on the pillow, but the damp hadn't broken through enough to wake him completely.

Kurt dipped his head and tasted Sam. He loved Sam's cock. When Sam was ready for him, its fullness and length would startle Kurt. He licked softly across the length, and he swirled his tongue back and forth across the nearly full erection.

"Kurt…" Sam muttered brokenly. He'd be completely awake soon.

When Sam did wake up, he found Kurt smiling at him as he hovered over Sam's cock. "Morning, baby." Kurt whispered to him.

"Morning. You've been busy," Sam gasped.

"Yes, I have." Kurt took him into his mouth again, and Sam was already so far gone even before waking that he came in Kurt's mouth quickly, arching off the bed towards the source of his pleasure.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sam made good on his promise, and soon after finding some breakfast at the closest restaurant, they were back in the room with take-out boxes. They ate quickly, and they shared sodas that Kurt had stored in his car. He'd been planning this weekend since Burt had told him about the trip, and he hadn't wanted anything coming between them.

Sam decided the first order of business on _romantic day_ was a massage, and Kurt was very willing to both receive and give one. Kurt had brought all his skin-care products with him, more out of habit than any desire to actually use them, and he had some vanilla scented body lotion in his bag.

Sam sniffed the bottle, squirted it into his hands and started massaging Kurt's shoulders. Kurt moaned at the wonderful pressure. Sam's hands were working to relieve tension, but he wasn't pressing hard enough to hurt. Sam stroked his arms and the muscles in his back, working his hands back and forth over Kurt's skin very slowly.

He kneaded the muscles in Kurt's legs and he stroked down his body. Kurt laughed when he came to the realization that he was torn between falling asleep and having sex with Sam again. How could something so relaxing also be so stimulating?

Sam continued, massaging Kurt's feet and ankles, his touch both soothing and arousing. Then he moved back up and took each of Kurt's hands, massaging them separately, his fingers dipping between Kurt's and his thumb rubbing warm circles in his palms.

"I think it's my turn to massage you. Because if you turn me over to work on the front of me, I'll have a little problem we might not want to talk about," Kurt smiled, his cheek buried in the sheets.

Sam snorted. "Okay."

Kurt got up reluctantly, and Sam replaced him on the bed. Kurt wasn't as strong as Sam, but he was able to work the tension out of his muscles. Not that Sam had all that much tension. Last night had taken care of most of that.

Kurt concentrated on the smooth muscles of Sam's back. Sam was always so concerned about how his abs looked, but Sam's back was amazing to Kurt. The muscles were lean and long, and when he bent over, the muscles flexed and Kurt moaned at the sight. Kurt moved up to Sam's arms, and he worked his fingers into the flesh of Sam's biceps. Sam groaned into the blankets, and he shifted under Kurt's weight.

Kurt straddled Sam's back and kneaded his shoulders. Then he slid down slowly, gliding his hands over every glorious inch of skin he could find. Kurt slid farther back, sliding his bottom over Sam's until he was kneeling between Sam's legs. He stroked his hands over Sam's ass, softly, wanted to turn him on rather than massage him. Sam moaned and his legs spread further apart, and Kurt would bet that Sam hadn't even been aware of doing that.

Kurt bent his head and pressed his lips on the spot where Sam's ass met his lower back. Sam flexed, his hips driving into the bed instinctually. Kurt turned his concentration to Sam's left leg, working his fingers into his skin. Then he moved on to his right leg and mirrored the movements. Kurt grabbed one foot and then the other, teasing them with light pressure from his fingers.

When Sam had calmed down some, Kurt leaned up and kissed his back, in the center near his spine. He heard Sam gasp quietly, and he used his tongue to explore the length of his spine.

"I love you, Sam Evans." he whispered into Sam's ear when he arrived back at his starting point.

Sam's head turned towards him, "I love you too, Kurt Hummel."

Kurt hovered his mouth over Sam's ear, hesitating. He wasn't sure how Sam would take his request.

"Sam. Look at me."

Sam rose slightly, balancing his weight on his forearms and looking to the side. "Okay."

"Sam. Can I… will you let… can I make love to you?"

He'd never forgive himself if he didn't at least ask. He didn't think Sam would be willing to bottom, but he wasn't sure.

"Of course you can, baby. You didn't have to ask me that," Sam kissed him and dropped back down onto his chest.

Kurt grabbed a pillow and placed it under Sam's abdomen, lifting him slightly. Sam handed him the lube and a condom, and he propped himself into a position that would allow Kurt some freedom to move more.

Kurt knew Sam had never done this, but he wasn't sure if Sam knew that _he_ had. Nearly everybody assumed that Kurt only bottomed, and they made that assumption based on his more feminine qualities. Nobody but Blaine knew that Kurt had actually topped more often during sex. Even though Kurt would also consider himself a bottom if he had to choose only one, he couldn't give this up if he tried. So he was very glad that he didn't have to choose.

Kurt prepared him slowly, even more slowly than Sam had done for him the night before. He was going to make this as painless as possible for Sam.

Sam's desperate moan of "Kurt, please…." told Kurt that Sam was ready. He put the condom on and smeared the lube over himself and over Sam. He entered him slowly, leaning over and kissing his back as he moved within him.

Sam tightened up but soon relaxed as Kurt filled him. Kurt waited for Sam to get used to him, and then he moved gently. The feel of Sam was almost too much for him. Kurt made love to him quietly, no fractured words and curses filling the air. He wanted to hear Sam's voice, and Sam's moans, and Sam's requests for whatever he needed that would make him come.

Sam began stroking himself, and Kurt didn't fight that. He smiled, gratified that he didn't have Sam's obsessive need to make him come without touching his cock. The downside to that is that Sam came first, while Kurt was still thrusting evenly and rapidly inside him. Sam gasped for breath, but he didn't move until Kurt came rocking into him with only one shuddered cry.

"My god, Kurt." Sam breathed when Kurt deposited the condom and relaxed on the bed beside him.

"Hi," he smiled, a little embarrassed but so very happy.

"That was amazing." Sam wrapped Kurt in his arms and threw his leg over him.

"Yes, it was," Kurt sighed.

"Can we do that again? Like daily maybe?" Sam's voice was husky and low.

"Would be nice, but Dad would catch us eventually."

"Good point. Sleep again?"

"Yes, please."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

They went back out for a late lunch because they were completely starved, and this time they ate in at the restaurant. They talked about visiting Kent State in early summer for the freshman orientation, and they talked about the Glee club trips. They spoke only to the waitress at the restaurant, and they acted as if they were the only two people in the place.

It was nice. Almost like a honeymoon.

They went back to the motel and watched a movie. They snuggled on the bed and touched every part of each other than they could reach.

Kurt checked his phone for messages from his Dad and found none. He found messages from Rachel and Quinn, but nothing that warranted immediate attention. Quinn texted to say that Rachel was with her this weekend, and she's who Kurt would have been worried about anyway.

There were some messages from Mercedes and Blaine, but he ignored them too.

He put his phone down on the table, and he crawled over to Sam. "I want you to make love to me."

And Sam did.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt woke again when it was almost dark on Saturday. Sam was still sleeping beside him, so he rummaged in his bag for the book he was currently reading. He turned on the light on the side of his bed and settled down into the covers, listening to Sam's soft snoring as he read. He could so get used to this. When they went back to the real world on Sunday morning, Kurt wasn't sure how he would deal with it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

When Kurt woke again, he found Sam lounging next to him and watching a movie on the television.

"What are you watching?" Kurt asked but didn't raise his head to see for himself.

"Star Wars. You missed the Emperor Palpatine and Anakin scene," Sam smiled and kissed him.

Kurt snorted. "Too bad. I need the tips on world domination from him."

"No, you don't. You are fully capable of taking over the world all on your own," Sam settled down into the covers with him.

"I love you," Kurt said quietly. "I don't want to leave this room tomorrow."

"Me neither. This is my favorite room ever." Sam kissed him lightly.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes. But I'd rather stay here and convince you to make love to me again," Sam smiled.

So Kurt did.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sunday morning came even earlier than Saturday morning had. Check-out was at eleven, and they needed to pack up what supplies that they'd brought into the room. And Kurt was now very hungry. He shifted in the bed and shook Sam slightly. Sam opened one eye and stared at him with it.

"Morning. I'm starving. How about you?"

Sam's stomach growled and Kurt laughed. "That would be yes." Sam added unnecessarily.

"Come on. We have time to go eat before we have to be back to check-out. It's just eight-thirty."

They dressed in the clothes Kurt had brought for both of them.

Having Sam over at his house frequently led to having some of his clothes show up randomly in Kurt's laundry. Not that he'd stolen them or anything. Or ripped them off him. Nope. Not Kurt. Those clothes of Sam's just showed up in his laundry all on their own.

It occurred to Kurt during breakfast that he hadn't given Sam a chance to tell the Berrys where he'd be before Kurt had kidnapped him. That could cause a problem.

"Sam, did you text anybody about where you were and why you didn't come home on Friday or Saturday?"

Sam blushed. "Oh, yeah. I texted Rachel and Puck while you were in the bathroom. Puck's covering for me. He told Rachel that I was at his house to confirm what I'd told her. She won't lie to her dads, knowingly anyway." He looked like he felt guilty about it.

"I'm sorry. I should have helped you come up with something before kidnapping you and having my way with you in a sordid motel."

"It's fine. I rather enjoyed that actually."

"This weekend was perfect, Sam." It had been even better than Kurt had dreamed.

They got back to the hotel by nine-thirty, and they made love one more time before they had to leave.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

They packed up what little bit of stuff they'd brought back into Kurt's bag. After dropping off the room key, they drove back to Kurt's house in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was more like contentment that stretched between them. Kurt's right hand was enveloped in Sam's, while he used his left hand to drive.

Sam settled down at the kitchen table to do his homework that was due the next day. Kurt puttered around the house doing chores that he would have completed during the weekend had he been there. He was going to make it look like he'd been there the whole time.

His phone buzzed with an incoming message from his dad.

He popped his head into the kitchen, "Dad and Carole will be here by three. Are you going to stay for dinner or go back home?"

"Dinner if that's okay with you. But what about Finn? Isn't he coming home today?"

"Yes. I'll have to face him sometime. This is my house too. If I avoid him forever, then he wins."

"Okay. But if he starts up, I don't know that I won't go off on him."

Kurt nodded. "I'm going to text Carole and make sure she's okay with it. If not, then I'll go with you wherever."

Kurt texted the request, and Carole replied that they would be fine with it. The family had talked about it earlier in the week. Kurt couldn't just avoid the house completely simply because Finn was there.

The rest of the Hummel-Hudson clan bounded through the door at about ten minutes after three in the afternoon. Burt and Carole looked tired, and Kurt took both of them drinks when they crashed on the couch. Finn walked into the room, and he looked down at Kurt.

"How are you feeling, Finn?" Kurt asked out of politeness. He really looked bad. There were bags under his eyes, and it looked like he'd lost some weight.

"Fine. Kurt, I know that it won't mean much to you right now. But I'm sorry." Finn shuffled his feet, sounding as if wasn't happy about apologizing to him.

It was a start.

"Okay. Thank you." Kurt nodded. "Just get better okay?"

Sam came into the room, and Finn turned to him. "Evans," he greeted.

"Hey Finn," Sam replied.

Finn walked past Kurt to head to his room.

It would take time, but maybe Finn would be okay. If depression was the only issue, then maybe the medication would help him with that. If there was something more, they'd find that out in time.

Kurt watched Carole as _she_ watched Finn walk out of the room. She was a strong woman but this would be hard for any mother to handle.

Kurt leaned over to give Carole a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, you know."

Carole looked up and smiled, "I love you, too."

Kurt knocked Burt's hat off his head and kissed him loudly on the top of the head. "Love you too."

Burt grabbed the offending hand and smiled. "Love you too. Thanks."

Kurt smiled and looked at Sam. "Do you want to help me with dinner?"

"Sure."

Kurt had come to accept that he would never have a good relationship with Finn. Finn had done too much. But maybe they would be able to tolerate each other one day.

For Burt's and Carole's sakes.


	15. Chapter 15

"Kurt!" Blaine shouted out as he approached Kurt at a jog. There was a look on his face of what would almost be described as fear.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked as he rummaged through his locker.

"What could Sam be up to that would require that Noah be involved?" Blaine asked with obvious suspicion.

Well, he couldn't blame Blaine for feeling a little scared because that did sound ominous. Kurt was fairly certain anything involving Puck was dangerous, illegal or too sexually explicit for him to actually say out loud in polite company.

"Well, the only thing I do know is that Sam is doing is planning his _wooing_. I have no idea why Puck would be involved with that."

Sam had been working on his project for over a week now, since their weekend together. And Kurt had no clue what the boy had planned. He seemed excited about it, but he hadn't even involved the girls in the planning. Which is the very reason why Kurt had no clue what was going on. Sam knew involving any of the Glee girls would be the same as telling Kurt what he was planning.

"Noah said he had to meet Sam this morning to put _Plan BK_ into action. There is no way that you and I _aren't_ B and K. Apparently, there is also a _Plan KB_."

"That sounds a little scary, I gotta be honest," Kurt laughed. "You didn't have any fights with Noah recently, did you?"

"Um, well, kind of. Last week. But it's not like we aren't talking to each other." Blaine blushed.

"Well, Sam owes me some wooing because of his crazy behavior over Mercedes. So that's what he's doing, but I didn't realize it was happening today. I didn't know that Noah was involved now. It can't be that bad, though. Right?"

Suddenly, he wasn't so sure. "Was your fight a big one?"

"Sort of."

"You don't have to tell me, you know." Kurt smiled at him as he shut his locker.

"It's not that. It's that my behavior was kind of hypocritical. I had no right getting mad at him."

"What happened?"

"I may have made a comment that he wasn't brave enough."

Kurt head-butted his locker in frustration. "Um. Blaine. That was stupid. This is Noah. You can't challenge him like that."

"Um, yeah. I figured when he told me that the Puckasaurus was the bravest cock at McKinley."

"Oh dear. Is this about how he only acts like you're a couple in Glee?"

"Um, Kind of."

Blaine had said the behavior was hypocritical, and he was right. Blaine had never felt comfortable acting like a couple with Kurt during school hours. They'd never held hands. They'd never kissed in front of their classmates. Prom was the biggest event for Blaine, but he'd been a lot safer there because, at the time, it wasn't his school. At McKinley, the fears of the bullying he'd encountered at his old school, the pre-Dalton school, haunted him too much. So he was being very hypocritical by expecting behavior from Noah that he wasn't willing to exhibit himself. But at least he knew that.

"Oh, Blaine. Good luck today. I hope you survive whatever Noah does to you."

"You're so supportive. I wonder why we never worked out," Blaine smirked.

"Holy. Hell." Kurt spotted Sam and Noah coming into the school through the main doors. They'd slammed the doors open with a bang, and they stalked in like they literally owned the school.

Sam had on skin tight black jeans, and he was wearing a white tee under a snug charcoal gray jacket that was zipped up.

Noah wore black leather pants with a ripped t-shirt. It had some lettering on it, but Kurt couldn't make it out until they got closer. The shirt had "BLAINE IS MY BOY" printed in giant block letters. They were similar to the shirts the Glee Club had made during their Born This Way performance.

Blaine's mouth dropped open, but he recovered once Noah had approached them. Noah stalked up to Blaine and nearly shoved him against the wall. Blaine looked like he was torn between fleeing for his life and shoving his tongue down Noah's throat.

Kurt decided to ignore them and turned to Sam, who had walked up to him proudly. He unzipped his jacket, revealing that his tee had similar writing on it. Kurt laughed, head falling back, when he spotted "LOVES KURT HUMMEL" on the front of Sam's shirt.

"Oh, my God, Sam," Wrapping his arms around Sam's neck, he grinned and kissed him.

"I'm going to wear this shirt all day. Let the wooing begin."

"You'll wear it until you get slushied you mean." Kurt grinned.

"You should see how many versions of this baby I have in my bag." Sam winked at him.

"You're lucky I have anti-slushie weapons in my locker. You are going to need them today."

"So you'll meet me between classes and help clean me up?"

"It's a date." Sam kissed Kurt quickly and then was off on his crazy adventure. Noah pulled Blaine into a kiss and then followed.

"Oh, we are so in for it today," Blaine sighed.

"I know." Kurt shut the door and headed off to class.

"And he is _so_ getting laid," Blaine added quietly.

Kurt laughed and smacked him on the arm. "Go debauch Puckerman somewhere else."

xoxoxoxoxoxox

After the first two slushies, courtesy of the hockey team, Sam texted Kurt to meet him in the bathroom on the second floor.

Kurt cleaned him up, and the second shirt made its entrance.

This one said "HUMMEL IS HOT"

Kurt grinned at him, and he pulled Sam down for a heated kiss. "You are so gonna get killed today. Why are you doing this?"

"Well, originally this was going to be much tamer. Then Noah had that argument with Blaine, and we decided to make a bigger statement."

"I love you."

"Love you, too, baby."

Kurt watched him leave and checked his phone when the familiar buzzing came through.

**From Blaine: Kurt. LOL. Help me. I can't even deal with him. The second shirt said "PUCKASAURUS. TAMED BY ANDERSON"**

**From Kurt: Sam's on shirt number two. Says "HUMMEL IS HOT" **

**From Blaine: Noah's already on to shirt three. "Tamed" got slushied immediately. Third says "MOHAWKS NEED HAIRGEL TOO" What is wrong with him?**

Kurt snorted.

**From Kurt: Not enough time for that question, Hairgel.**

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Two class periods later, Kurt watched a very blue Sam approach him through the hallway crowd.

"Blueberry, huh?"

"Yeah. That one sucks." Sam shivered as he followed Kurt into the nearest bathroom.

"I think you'll like this one the best," Sam smiled as he pulled another shirt from his bag and pulled it over his head.

Kurt burst into laughter as he read the words "KURT HUMMEL'S BITCH" across Sam's chest.

"Go big or go home, right?" Sam leaned over and kissed Kurt before heading back into the hallway.

**From Kurt: OMG LMAO. Sam's third shirt says "Kurt Hummel's Bitch."**

**From Blaine: I just snorted out loud. I haven't seen Noah yet. I'm scared.**

**From Kurt: Suck it up. Not literally btw. LOL**

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The bitch shirt lasted two more class periods before it was covered with a trio of cherry slushies.

Sam replaced it with one that said "PROPERTY OF KURT HUMMEL."

Kurt sighed as he watched Sam leave the bathroom after his de-icing. The boy was going to end up with pneumonia before the day was out.

**From Blaine: Update. We got "BOWTIES ARE SEXY" for about ten minutes before it got slushied. Then there was "BLAINEY PERRY'S BITCH."**

**From Kurt: LOL. Blainey Perry. I'm so gonna call you that. That's awesome. **

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt was leaning against his locker before the last class of the day when he spotted Sam at the end of the hallway. He was soaked, and his "HOT FOR KURT" shirt appeared to have been tie-dyed. There were streaks of at least three different colors of slushie. Kurt sighed and followed him to the nearest bathroom.

"Sam Evans. You are one brave man." Kurt hugged him.

Kurt grabbed some paper towels and closed the distance between them. Kurt began wiping slushie from Sam's face gently. Kurt took his hand and pulled him over to stand closer.

Kurt grabbed Sam's head and pulled him in for a kiss. He grazed Sam's bottom lip with his tongue, and he whispered, "I do admit, you taste really good right now. Not that you don't always taste good."

Sam growled and wrapped his arms around Kurt. "You better not start something, Hummel."

"Why? I like starting something with you."

"Okay, check this out. I need to show you my last shirt. It's epic. It's so badass that I'm gonna build a shrine to it or something." Sam stepped back and Kurt pulled away reluctantly.

Kurt leaned back against a sink and watched Sam pull on the newest masterpiece.

Across the chest were the words "KURT HUMMEL LOVES ME. And underneath it in the center was "YOU MAD?"

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Yep. We have one more surprise for you. Well, for you and Blaine. Are you upset that this ended up being for both of you?"

"No, not at all. I know _you_ did this for _me_, and honestly, I felt better knowing Noah was sharing the bulls-eye with you. The other jocks didn't know which one of you to go after first."

"Okay, here goes." And Sam was off again.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt and Blaine sat next to each other in Glee. It still felt weird to Kurt for Mr. Shue to not be there at practices. This whole council thing was strange, but not unpleasant. There seemed to be fewer fights and less out-right back-stabbing between members.

Sam and Noah were the last two to arrive, and they did so in style.

Sam was still wearing the last printed shirt, so it had apparently made it through at least one class period unscathed. He looked unbelievably hot. He'd mussed up his hair, and he'd ripped the latest shirt so that some skin showed through. He'd switched his tennis shoes for black boots, and he was wearing the same skin tight jeans.

Noah's shirt said "BLOAH PUCKERMAN"

Kurt snorted. _Blow a Puckerman_. Only Noah.

Blaine's head dropped into his hands, and he was shaking his head in disbelief. "There was one like that earlier that said "Bluck Anderman. But this one's worse." he whispered. "He's out of his mind. He said the other day our portmanteau was going to include Bloah."

"Well, I'm kind of glad that Sam didn't try that, since ours would be K-U-M. So quit your whining, Blainey Perry."

It was Blaine's turn to snort.

Sam gestured for the band to start playing, and nobody in the room seemed surprised. They were all probably in on it from the beginning. Kurt glanced at Rachel, and she smiled broadly.

Noah grabbed his guitar and joined in with the band.

Kurt burst out laughing when the familiar music to For Your Entertainment began. Kurt had always assumed that he'd be the one singing this song to someone someday.

This was perfect. Sam was perfect.

Sam started singing, and he spun a chair around to face Kurt. Noah strapped his guitar on and stood in front of Blaine, smirking at him with a smile of self-satisfaction that only Noah could pull off properly.

_SAM:_

_So hot out the box_

_Can we pick up the pace?_

_Turn it up, heat it up_

_I need to be entertained_

_Push the limit, are you with it?_

_Baby don't be afraid_

_I'mma hurt you real good baby_

_NOAH:_

_Let's go it's my show, baby, do what I say_

_Don't trip off the glitz that I'm gonna display_

_I told you, I'mma hold ya down until you're amazed_

_Give it to ya til you're screamin' my name_

_SAM:_

_No escaping when I start_

_Once I'm in, I own your heart_

_There's no way to ring the alarm_

_So hold on until it's over_

_NOAH:_

_Oh! Do you know what you got into_

_Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do_

_'Cause it's about to get rough for you_

_I'm here for your entertainment_

_SAM_:

_Oh! I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet_

_You thought an angel swept you off your feet_

_But I'm about to turn up the heat_

_I'm here for your entertainment_

_SAM AND NOAH:_

_'Sall right_

_You'll be fine_

_Baby I'm in control_

_Take the pain_

_Take the pleasure_

_I'm the master of both_

_Close your eyes, not your mind_

_Let me into your soul_

_I'm gonna work it 'til your totally blown_

The other members of the group were cheering, and Brittany and Mike had gotten up to dance behind them. Sam didn't take his eyes off Kurt throughout, and Kurt was enjoying that maybe just a bit too much.

_SAM:_

_No escaping when I start_

_Once I'm in, I own your heart_

_There's no way to ring the alarm_

_So hold on 'til it's over_

_NOAH:_

_Oh! Do you know what you got into_

_Can you handle what I am about to do_

_'Cause it's about to get rough for you_

_I'm here for your entertainment_

_SAM:_

_Oh! I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet_

_You thought an angel swept you off your feet_

_But I'm about to turn up the heat_

_I'm here for your entertainment_

_SAM:_

_Oh! Do you like what you see?_

_Oh! Let me entertain ya 'til you scream_

Okay, that was just about all Kurt could handle. Sam's dancing was driving him nuts, and his voice was amazing for this song. He didn't even know Sam could reach some of the notes in this song.

_NOAH:_

_Oh! Do you know what you got into_

_Can you handle what I am about to do_

_'Cause it's about to get rough for you_

_I'm here for your entertainment_

_SAM:_

_Oh! I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet_

_You thought an angel swept you off your feet_

_But I'm about to turn up the heat_

_I'm here for your entertainment_

Kurt jumped up and threw himself at Sam when the song was over. He didn't even bother to see what Blaine was doing. But knowing Blaine, he was probably on the other side of the room molesting Noah.

Sam hugged him and pulled him flush up against him. "Is that enough wooing for you?"

"Oh, yes. You are incredible. You have completed your quest, Evans."

"So you liked the song?" Sam asked in his ear.

"Definitely. It totally made me want to Nnngh you," he whispered shamelessly.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Song "For Your Entertainment" Adam Lambert


	16. Chapter 16

"So, I heard you met a new guy," Sam stopped in front of Kurt's locker and prepared to pout at him.

He knew Kurt could never resist him when he pouted. It was a useful skill that he utilized as often as he could get away with. And he was going to need that pout when he got done with teasing Kurt. If he didn't pull out the pout, Kurt would kill him for it.

Kurt turned slowly, his skin turning the most adorable shade of pink.

_Caught you_. It _was_ true.

Santana had told him that Kurt had the most interesting reaction to the night teacher that taught Spanish. There was a rumor that the man might replace Mr. Shue as Spanish teacher, and Santana talked the Glee Club into checking him out. He was surprised that Kurt had gone since Mr. Shue had been such an ass. But maybe that's why he had. To see if the new guy would be better.

Santana said the teacher was hot, and his name was David Martinez. And she said that Kurt nearly had a heart attack when he spotted the man.

"Um. Hi. W-what are you talking about?" Kurt stuttered.

"I'm talking about this dude that Santana was talking about. Hispanic. Apparently hot. Tattoos. Tight jeans and even tighter shirt. Can dance. She nearly spontaneously combusted, she said."

"Oh, really? That's a shame. Is she sure she's a lesbian and not bisexual?" Kurt folded his arms over his chest and deflected Sam's comments like it was his _job_.

Oh, my god. He was fucking adorable when he was trying to avoid shit.

"Well, she can appreciate a good body, you have to admit that," Sam gestured to his own abs, and Kurt snorted at him.

"Sam Evans. You're impossible." Kurt smiled.

Then he pouted, and Kurt melted. Worked every time.

Just as Kurt leaned in to kiss him, Sam pulled back slightly. "Okay, so the new guy?"

"Sam!" Kurt laughed at him. "Okay, I know who she's talking about. What's your point?"

"Well, she did mention that there were a few students who met this Mr. Martinez guy and may have had the same response to him that she had."

"Oh, really? Fascinating. Let's walk to class, shall we?" Kurt linked their arms and dragged Sam with him.

"Yes, it is. One student in particular apparently got flustered by Mr. Martinez." Sam smirked at him.

"Well, I'm sure it was simply a misunderstanding, Sam."

Damn, he was good. He wasn't going to admit to anything unless Sam really went after him.

Well, he was asking for it then.

"I don't know. Santana said that this one guy kind of melted around Mr. Martinez. Like seriously melted. Man, I wish I'd been there cause I would have like to have seen this dude in person. Because he sounds fucking hot."

"He is." Kurt stopped in the middle of the hall and clapped his hand over his mouth.

Sam burst out laughing, pulled him into a hug, and then shuffled him into the auditorium. "Oh, my god, I love you. You are so fucking cute."

"I love you, too, you little shit." Kurt glared at him.

"I wish you could have seen your face through this entire discussion. It was priceless, baby."

"Hush. What else did the traitor tell you?"

"Just that the sight of Mr. Martinez had you kicking your legs into a split in mid-air while you humped a chair."

Kurt's face paled. "That is _so_ not what happened. And what you just described doesn't even sound physically possible for me to even do."

Sam grinned at him, "Whatever. I figured she was exaggerating that one anyway."

"Well, I did do the leg split, but I was in no way humping any chairs, dammit."

"And what brought on the leg split may I ask?" Sam bit back more laughter.

This was so much damn fun. But he was pretty sure that he would pay for all this torture later.

"Sam, seriously?"

"So he's _that_ hot?"

Kurt stared at him in defiance.

"I'll bet you went home and texted Blaine about how hot he was. Didn't you?"

Kurt fidgeted in front of him and looked away.

"You did!" Sam's head fell back and he broke into peals of laughter. "Oh, God. You _so_ did. Did you take a photo of him so Blaine could see him?"

Kurt avoided his gaze again. "Maybe."

Then Sam lost it. He leaned over the nearest chair and laughed until his stomach hurt.

"Dammit, Sam. If you don't stop laughing at me, you aren't getting sex for a month."

That sobered him up quickly. He didn't think Kurt would actually follow through with that, but he wasn't going to take any chances. He was pretty sure Kurt couldn't last that long either, but his boyfriend did have a bit of a mean streak in him sometimes. He might go that long just to spite Sam.

"I'm sorry baby." He stifled another giggle that popped up unannounced. "Can I see the picture?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No, Sam."

"Come on. Don't hog all the hotness."

Kurt glared at him, and he had to bite back another burst of laughter. He was seriously pushing it, and Kurt was so going to get him back.

"Sam Evans."

"Kurt Hummel. I wanna see the hot Spanish teacher too!" Sam whined and stamped his foot.

"What are you, five?"

"Come on. It's only fair. If this guy is my competition, I should get to see what I'm up against."

Kurt leaned forward and kissed him. "You don't have any competition."

"Still. I want to see these arms Santana was talking about. To see how much I gotta start working on mine." He flexed his arms and grinned at Kurt.

Kurt ran his palm over his face. "You are going to be the death of me, aren't you?"

"Probably. But I promise not to kill you until _after_ you hump the Spanish teacher." Sam grinned.

"SAM! Oh, my god, you're lucky I love you." Kurt smacked him on the arm.

"Let me see," Sam purred, and he leaned over to nuzzle Kurt's neck. "Lemme see the hot teacher, baby. You know you want to."

"Sam," Kurt's breath caught on his name.

Sam aimed for the section of Kurt's neck that made him moan every time. And sure enough, one kiss elicited the response he was looking for.

"Come on….sexy picture…Mr. Martinez…come on…" Sam breathed while he kissed up and down Kurt's neck. He draped his hands over Kurt's waist and pulled him closer. "Wanna see…"

"No."

"Why are you saying no? You're being selfish with the sexy teacher. You want him all for yourself, don't you? Or are you and Blaine planning to share him?" Sam winked at him.

Kurt just looked at him. _With_ _that look_.

How did Kurt manage to eye-fuck him with a death glare? That took some talent.

"Kurt, baby. I love you. Show me. You shared him with Blaine…" he reminded.

Kurt pulled out his phone and searched through the pictures on it. "Fine, you win."

"As long as he's not the wallpaper, I won't be jealous." Sam smirked.

"He's not the fucking wallpaper, you shit. You are." Kurt slapped the phone into his hand once he'd found the picture.

"Fuck. He _is_ hot." Sam stared down on the Spanish speaking perfection that had entranced his boyfriend. The dude was seriously hot. Like too hot.

"See? Do you blame me?"

"Wow. I feel a little insecure now." Sam admitted.

Kurt laughed. "That's what you get."

Sam gave the phone back and smirked again. "He's hot, I gotta admit. But can he sing?"

"Oh, yes. He can sing." Kurt smirked back at him.

"Really? Did he sing for you guys?"

"Yes."

"Did you get turned on? Be honest now. I'm not going to be mad."

Kurt lifted an eyebrow. "You say that now. If I admit to anything, you'll torture me more."

"Did he sing in Spanish?"

"Yes."

"Does that get you hot?"

"Maybe."

Spanish was a kink for him? Sam could, and would, take every advantage of this kink, that's for sure.

"Guess what?" Sam dropped his mouth to kiss Kurt on the side of the neck again.

"What?" Kurt leaned into his touch.

Sam let his mouth hover near Kurt's ear, and he whispered, "I can sing in Spanish, too." Then he pulled back to look at Kurt's face.

Kurt's eyes fucking glazed over. It was a beautiful sight, and Sam wanted to laugh again. But he knew Kurt would kill him. Or withhold sex forever, which would be worse. But the look in Kurt's eyes was killing Sam.

"Y-you c-can?" Kurt whimpered.

"Yes, I can. I speak some Spanish, and I can definitely sing in the language."

"Um. Ok. Th-that could be nice." Kurt breathed.

"You know how we're going on that double date tonight with Puck and Blaine?" Sam whispered.

"Y-yes."

"Well, when we get done, if you want, I can sing you something when we're all alone."

"Really?"

"Really."

Kurt pulled him closer, grasping him behind the neck and kissed him. "That would be perfect."

Sam leaned into the kiss and he sucked Kurt's lower lip between his teeth, nipping them gently. Kurt gasped and opened his mouth completely, letting Sam's tongue inside.

Sam pulled back and smiled at him. "So, you'll let me get you hot with my Spanish speaking skills?"

"You get me hot with your English speaking skills, so it's safe to say I'll let you do that, too."

"Well, there's always Na-vi, too. Na-vi gets you really hot. Which then gets me really hot. It's a vicious but sexy circle of arousal."

"Yes, it is. And don't forget when I speak French. I'm not the only one who can be seduced by foreign languages."

"Very true. But it's a good thing I'm not speaking Spanish right now. Cause we don't really have time for all the jumping you'd be doing. And you'd definitely be jumping me. Maybe straddling me. Or humping me. Or leaning back and throwing your legs into the air while you hump the nearest chair _instead _of me." Sam laughed.

"Shut up, Evans," Kurt whispered.

"I'm serious. It could be dangerous. And loud. Then we'd get caught." Sam mumbled against Kurt's mouth.

"I'm not that loud." Kurt glared.

"Um. When you bottom, you are."

Kurt flushed the most gorgeous shade of pink. "You didn't have to put it that way."

"Why not? It's fucking hot."

"You are such a shit sometimes."

"I know. But you love me. And _te amo_. And I do love you."

"Saaaammm," Kurt's head fell forward onto Sam's shoulder.

"Te quiero," Sam whispered. "I want you."

"Stop."

"Me encantan tus ojos," he whispered. "I love your eyes."

"Sam," Kurt curled into his embrace.

"Usted es tan increible," Sam turned Kurt's face up to look at him. "You are incredible."

"I love you, you jerk."

"Quiero hacerte el amor," Sam ignored that. "I want to make love to you."

"SAM!" Kurt begged. "Stop."

Sam kissed him again, and he pulled Kurt flush against him, putting as many parts of his body against all of Kurt's. Kurt moaned and wrapped his arms around Sam's neck, and Sam fought the urge to get handsy with him. They didn't have time to make love, no matter how much they wanted to. And if they got caught, the school would tell Burt, and then Sam would die.

"Okay, now that I've seduced all thoughts of the sexy Spanish teacher out of your head, you can go on to class." Sam shot a grin that was sure to irritate him. He specialized in those.

"That's what this was about?"

There it was again. That eye-fucking death glare.

"Well, I've heard how hot he is, and now I've seen how hot he is. And now that I know you have a Spanish language kink, I had to do what I had to do," Sam shrugged and smiled.

"I thought you weren't going to be jealous," Kurt smirked.

"I'm not. I'm just reminding you." Sam smiled.

"Reminding me of what?" Geez. With that death glare again.

"Tu eres mio. You. Are. Mine."

He pulled out the pout again, and Kurt melted.

_Good to know_.

A Trouty Mouth Pout was the official slayer of the Hummel Eye-Fucking Death Glare.

That was _so_ going to come in handy.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A/N

My Spanish is rusty, so I used a translator for some of it. I'm sorry if it's wrong.


	17. Chapter 17

"So, you had to show him the picture?" Blaine smirked and sat back in his chair.

A few months ago, you would have never convinced Kurt that they would be on a double date that including Blaine, but that Kurt wouldn't be with Blaine on said date. Life was crazy sometimes.

They'd decided on Scandals since Noah hadn't been there yet. They figured that drag queen night was probably more than Noah could handle, so they settled on a regular night. But here, they could be more affectionate than they could at Breadstix or any of the other, limited, restaurant choices.

It wasn't that Sam had a problem being affectionate. Or Kurt for that matter. It was more for Blaine and Noah. The day of the public "wooing" had helped, but Blaine couldn't fight against years of feeling uncomfortable and fearing he'd be judged. Scandals made Blaine comfortable, and Noah was all for that.

Sam would grab Kurt and kiss him anytime and anywhere, and Kurt loved that about him. They'd have struggles in the future, he was sure, but Sam was strong and accepting. And he was proud of being with Kurt. So they'd take each day as it came. And if they found resistance from people in the form of homophobia, then they'd handle it when it came.

"Yes, I had to show him," Kurt laughed. "It was awful! He tortured me about it. I was hoping he'd never find out about that."

"Well, it was Santana. What did you expect?" Blaine laughed and took a drink of his beer.

"Very true." Kurt agreed.

"How long has Noah been interested in guys?" Blaine asked as he watched Noah, who was on the other side of the bar. Noah and Sam had gone to get them more drinks, while Kurt and Blaine stayed at the table. Knowing Sam and Noah though, they'd get distracted doing something and be gone forever.

The last time they'd gotten distracted, Sam had found himself in a discussion with a bear cub that happened to love Avatar. It had taken Kurt twenty minutes to get Sam out of that man's clutches. And Sam thought _he_ was going to have trouble with Kurt getting hit on all the time. Even though he prided himself on his body, the gorgeous boy was clueless about how attractive guys would find him.

"I don't know actually. I've always thought he had a thing for guys though. He's never made it a secret that he's all for sex, gay or straight. And for as long as I've known him, he's never treated me badly because of my sexuality."

"I thought he bullied you too."

"Oh, he did. But honestly, that had never been about that. He bullied me because I was a challenge. He and I talked about it once, a while after he'd joined Glee. A lot of people got bullied for different reasons. For some of the other jocks, it was because I was gay. But for Noah, I think it was more because I was strong enough not to take any bullshit off him. He liked that."

"I can see that. I can see him doing it just to see what smart-assed thing you'd say back to him." Blaine smiled.

"And I did just that. Every day." Kurt sat back and took a sip of his non-alcoholic drink. He was the designated driver tonight. Again. As usual. And he didn't mind it. Every time he got the urge to drink, he would remember Bambi, hunters, and Ms. Pillsbury's shoes, and the urge would leave quickly.

"But to answer the question I'm sure you're dying to ask, I've never known him to date any other guy, Blaine." Kurt leveled a glance at him to see his reaction, and he was rewarded with a shy smile.

"So I turned him bisexual. I have skills." Blaine smirked.

Kurt threw his head back with a laugh. "Don't let him hear you say that. He'll kill you."

"Can I ask you something? The bisexuality thing. I don't want to have another argument about it. But you were so adamant that you didn't believe in it last year. What happened?" Blaine didn't seem like he was trying to be nosy, and Kurt felt he probably owed him an answer, given what had happened between the two of them.

"It wasn't that I didn't believe in it. But to completely answer your question, I have to bring up Sam from when we were together before. Do you even want to hear that?" Kurt set his glass back down on the table and folded his hands in front of him.

"Go for it. Our break-up was for the best. There's no point in carrying grudges about it." Blaine shrugged.

"Okay, well, Sam and I kissed not long after Dave kissed me. I've always liked Sam. From the moment I met him. And I really believe that we would have had a chance together from the beginning if Finn hadn't interfered. Once he did, Sam got involved with Quinn," Kurt was watching Sam while he talked.

It made it easier to talk about. Sam was laughing at something Noah had apparently said, and they were fist-bumping each other.

"I actually asked Sam to kiss me. I'd wanted him all along, but I was too scared after Finn accused me of being an almost rapist. I was afraid that Dad was right and that I'd be taking advantage of Sam. I probably shouldn't have asked him to kiss me. I was remembering Dave's kiss, and I wanted one, a first kiss, of my very own with someone that I cared about. And Sam was who I cared about. I'd already met you, but we had _just_ met a few days before."

"That's understandable though. I'd want that for myself too if that had happened to me."

"Well, Sam was flirting with me, and I don't mean I _thought_ he was. He was outright flirting with me. He was telling me words in Na'vi and they were words like kiss, lips, mouth, pleasure," Kurt blushed when he remembered how Sam had turned him on so quickly with those words. "There was no way that I was imagining it. And he wasn't even shocked when I asked him to kiss me. He just asked me if I was sure, and when I said yes, he did it."

"Sounds kind of hot."

"It was. And he said he thought that maybe the reason that he was always so comfortable around gay men was that he was bisexual. He wasn't sure, but he wondered if it made sense. But Sam has this sense of honor that is hard to describe." Kurt looked at Blaine, who looked as if he wanted to argue a point. "And before you get offended over the cheating, I can explain that to you, too, in just a minute."

Kurt rubbed his hands together and then smoothed them over his legs. He was getting nervous, because this was Blaine that he was talking to. He was telling the boy he'd cheated on the story of who he'd cheated with. He had a feeling that he could screw this up.

Blaine nodded and closed his mouth. "Go on."

"Well, he decided that since he'd been dating Quinn first, before he kissed me, that he needed to be fair and make an effort with her. Because it was the honorable thing to do. I'd already compromised that sense of honor by asking him to kiss me to begin with, so although I was hurt, I didn't fight it. I resented it. And you know how I get when I resent things. To me, he was denying wanting me so he could be with a Cheerio. Not too long ago, during an argument, I accused him of the falling for the _Quarterback dates the Cheerio_ scenario."

"And then that kiss with Rachel happened," Blaine closed his eyes and leaned back.

"Yep. And I saw it all happening again. I liked a guy who liked a girl. It was surreal for me during that party. I knew you were drunk, but it was like a re-run of a bad sitcom for me."

"That's why you said that bisexual was what guys said when they want to hold hands with girls in public."

"Yeah. Not real proud of myself, but I'd been second choice to a girl once in my life already. I'm sorry I took it out on you. I do have enough of a brain to know that bisexuality is just as normal as being gay or straight. But first Sam picked Quinn. Then Raine Anderberry happened."

"Excuse me?" Blaine laughed. "What was that?"

"That's what the Glee Club named you after you two kissed. Mercedes told me about it. Don't shoot the messenger. I was at Dalton with you when they named you, so I'm innocent." Kurt laughed.

Sam and Noah were still at the bar, but they were just talking to the bartender. The man was harmless, and he'd often been very kind to Kurt on previous trips. Sam was safe with that one. Sam was leaning on the bar, and he looked back at Kurt and smiled. Sam was so fucking sexy when he just gave in to being himself. And when he smiled, Kurt thought that was probably the sexiest sight in the world. And watching Sam do just about anything was a complete turn-on for Kurt.

"You never looked at me that way," Blaine whispered. Kurt hadn't even known that Blaine had leaned towards him. "I could see that when he came back from Kentucky. I knew there was something there."

"I know. And I'm sorry about that. I never wanted to hurt you," Kurt took his eyes off Sam to look at Blaine. "But it was always there. I gave him my heart a long time ago. It wasn't your fault that it didn't work out."

"Well, if you always loved him, then it wasn't really your fault either. And I fucked up by going after Sebastian. I really thought he could be something to me."

"Even though I was always fighting against him, I often wondered if I was doing the same thing to you that had happened to me. Was I keeping you from who you were supposed to be with? That made me feel guilty. It was never about the cheating," Kurt took another drink and looked down at his hands.

"Speaking of…" Blaine gestured towards Sam.

"Well, you know that whole honorable thing Sam has? In his eyes, I was always his, and I should have never been with you. He never considered it as me cheating on you. He felt like I was cheating on him by even being with you. I'm not saying it makes sense, but it's what I call Sam-logic. I was with him first, even though there was Quinn, and Santana. And then Cedes. We're a regular little incestuous Glee family."

"Actually, it is Sam, so the logic sort of makes sense," Blaine laughed.

"Hush. He's adorable. So you could see how I felt huh? Is that why you went off on him all the time?"

"Yeah. The crazy thing is that I was after Sebastian the whole time. So being jealous of you and Sam was crazy because I was already obsessed with Sebastian," Blaine shook his head in disbelief.

"Join the crazy family. At least Sebastian wasn't your Glee brother."

"True."

"Wanna help me get some revenge? On Sam for torturing me about David Martinez?"

"Will this get me in trouble?"

"Maybe. It could also encourage Noah to fuck you mercilessly to teach you a lesson."

"I'm in."

"That was scarily easy."

"It's Noah," Blaine shrugged without any sign of shame. "What are we doing?"

"Fighting over who did a better job converting them into bisexuality. It's a pet peeve of Sam's. He gets almost as irritated as I get when people accuse me of converting straight guys to being gay."

"That could get you killed." Blaine said it so matter-of-factly, as if the thought didn't even bother him.

"Wow, don't feel so bad about my imminent death, there. I'm aware of that. But he also gets very hot when he's angry," Kurt grinned.

Kurt shared a glance with Sam, and he made sure to put his guilty face on. That would be enough to have Sam come wandering over to see what he was getting into. Sure enough, Sam launched himself off the bar gracefully, nudged Noah, and pointed at their table.

"Uh oh. Evans is on his way. _Plan Piss Him Off_ is a go," Blaine smirked.

"Blaine, I'm telling you that I'm the winner. Just drop it. I have more skills that you do in this. And I've had more practice," Kurt tried to sound irritated with Blaine, but he wasn't sure he could pull it off.

Sam and Noah were just close enough to hear it, and he wanted to make sure that he and Blaine were already talking about it before they walked up.

"Kurt, don't be ridiculous. Look at Noah's track record. I obviously have much better skills than you do," Blaine said dismissively.

"What track record? The boy has dated, and I'm using that word as a euphemism, more girls at McKinley than anybody. But Sam. He's only dated three."

Sam ducked into the seat and pressed a kiss to Kurt's mouth. "What are you two arguing about?"

"Nothing," Kurt avoided on purpose. He wanted to look as if he really felt guilty.

"Kurt and I were arguing about who did a better job of converting you guys to bisexuality," Blaine responded airily.

"WHAT?" Sam spun on Kurt, and Kurt pretended to shrink back into his chair.

Fuck, he was hot when he yelled. Kurt already wanted to jump him. He didn't need to wait for the Spanish speaking later tonight. Unless he pissed Sam off, and that plan got foiled.

"Sam, I didn't mean to talk about that," Kurt lied, probably badly, but he was going to go for it.

Noah fastened a glare on Blaine, and Kurt saw his ex-boyfriend start squirming in his seat. If he wasn't already getting the same glare from Sam, Kurt would think it was funny.

"Kurt, you know how I feel about that," Sam warned.

"Sam, it's not Kurt's fault. I pointed out that Noah had dated more girls at McKinley than you have, so that made Noah a bigger challenge. Kurt was disagreeing and pointing out his reasons."

_Shit_. Blaine had balls. When had he grown those?

Noah's glared worsened, but Blaine seemed to be ignoring it now. Blaine must have gotten very kinky since they'd broken up, because only great sex would make him risk the wrath of the Noah that was sitting on the other side of the table.

Kurt was afraid to look at Sam. Like seriously, _what-the-fuck-was-he-thinking-doing-this_ kind of afraid.

"And what exactly _were_ your reasons?" Sam's glare had intensified. Fuck. Sam was so sexy all the time when he wasn't angry. When he got angry, Kurt was done for.

"I'd rather not say," Kurt fidgeted in his seat and pretended to avoid Sam's gaze.

Noah managed to find his voice, and he directed it at Blaine, "I was a _challenge_?"

Uh oh. Blaine down.

"Um. That's not exactly what I mean, baby," Blaine hedged.

"I'm waiting," Noah crossed his arms over his chest.

"Kurt? Reasons?" Sam demanded in a husky voice that was just about too much for Kurt.

"Um. I may have said that since you got back with me after only dating three girls, then I converted you faster, but Blaine started it." Kurt stated, the last few words jumbled together. He digging his grave even deeper.

Okay, who was the idiot that thought this was a good idea? Oh, yeah. That had been him. Teasing Sam was one thing, but pissing him off might be bad. Really bad. Even if he was hot as fuck when he was yelling at Kurt. Plus, he deserved it for the David Martinez thing. Maybe. Hell, Kurt was in so deep now, it didn't even matter anymore.

"You two were discussing who converted us to bisexuality FASTER?" Noah didn't shout. His voice was completely calm and modulated. Which was _way-the-fuck-scarier_ in Kurt's opinion. He'd hate to be Blaine right now.

Kurt could see from the corner of his eye that Blaine was visibly squirming.

"Sam?" Kurt looked at Sam, and he was convinced now that this had been the worst of all his ideas.

Sam grabbed Kurt by the hand and jerked him out of his seat. He dragged him towards the bathroom in the back of the bar. Uh oh. This could either be really good and hot, or really bad and hot. Kurt wasn't sure he was ready to find out which.

Sam pulled him into the bathroom and dropped his hand. Sam ducked and scanned under the stalls to see if anyone was occupying them. Apparently, there wasn't because he turned quickly around to Kurt.

"Um, Sam. I can explain."

"I don't want to hear it," Sam stalked back and forth beside him. "You know how much that shit pisses me off. Why would you talk about it with Blaine?"

"I can explain."

"I don't want to hear it!" Sam shouted.

"But you just asked me a fucking question!" Kurt yelled back.

"Don't yell at me! You're the one in the wrong here!"

"I'm yelling at you because you yelled at me first!" Kurt put his hands on his hips and glared.

Sam rushed him, pushing him against the bathroom door, effectively blocking anyone from entering. Sam kissed him roughly, plunging his tongue in Kurt's mouth. To cut off his ability to argue back probably. Kurt sighed against him and fell into the kiss, wrapping one hand around Sam's neck and the other on his bicep. Kurt pulled Sam against his body, and he moaned against his mouth.

"So fucking hot when you're mad at me," Kurt breathed against his wonderful trouty lips.

"So are you…. You… got me… fucking mad… on purpose?" Sam pulled back and said, before diving back in with another heated kiss. Sam's hands were all over him, rubbing his back and his arms, and moving down to grab his ass. Sam got so damn handsy when they kissed. It was wonderful. He knew just where to touch Kurt to make him crazy for Sam.

"Yeah. I did," Kurt admitted.

"Was it just to get me mad? Or payback for my teasing today?" Sam lifted Kurt's leg and leveled it against his hip, never moving his hand out of place. It pulled Kurt's body so much closer, and closer to Sam was always where Kurt wanted to be.

"Both," he admitted huskily. "But in my defense, Blaine was worse."

"Not helping your case, Hummel," Sam breathed against his neck. Sam was sucking on the skin where his shoulder began. He was doing it to leave a mark on Kurt's skin because that was one of Sam's kinks.

"Sorry," Kurt apologized with another kiss.

"I may not sing for you tonight," Sam warned before putting that wonderful mouth back to work against Kurt's neck.

"And I'd totally deserve that. Just don't stop doing what you're doing," Kurt begged.

"We're going back out there, and we are going to see if they are ready to leave. And then we're going to go somewhere where we can be alone. And you are going to make this up to me." Sam let go of Kurt and stepped back.

"Okay." Kurt adjusted his clothes and opened the bathroom door.

Kurt followed Sam back to the table, and it looked like Noah was giving Blaine the silent treatment. Blaine glared at Kurt, for getting both of them into this, and Kurt mouthed an apology to him. Sam tapped Noah on the shoulder and pulled him to the side, whispering in his ear for a few moments.

Blaine stood and came over to where Kurt was standing near the door.

"This is your fault," he muttered. "Now, he's just plain pissed at me."

"Did you apologize?"

"Yes, did you?"

"Yes, and Sam attacked me."

"Lucky shit. Noah probably won't touch me tonight."

"I said I was sorry. Tell him we planned it."

"I _tried_ that, but he didn't believe me."

"Give him a blowjob."

"Really, Kurt? Really?" Blaine glared again.

"Well, it seems like it would work with Noah."

"How would you know what would work with Noah?"

"Really, Blaine? Jealousy now? Really?"

Sam and Noah walked up, both silent and angry. Kurt sighed. This hadn't quite turned out like he'd planned, and this idiotic idea had sounded much better in his head.

The drive back to Noah's house was silent and excruciatingly long. Blaine's car had been left at Noah's when they'd decided to double date, so they were dropping them off together. Kurt parked, and he saw Sam and Noah nod at each other.

"Look Blaine, let's get this out in the open," Noah started.

"I said I was sorry, Noah! It was just a plan to get back at Sam for earlier today! Why don't you believe me?" Blaine pouted and folded his arms in front of him.

"I do believe you now. Sam told me that Kurt confessed to the same thing in the bathroom. So your stories are straight."

"Look you two. You know how much that issue bothers me. Well, maybe you don't, Blaine, but he does," Sam added, pointing at Kurt. Kurt felt like shrinking into the seat.

"And I can understand you being curious since you are the first guy I've ever been with," Noah added, warming up to Blaine and scooting closer to him.

Kurt glanced in the car mirror, and he saw Blaine visibly melting. He was too cute and so different than how he used to act with Kurt. He never seemed to be himself with Kurt.

"So I can see how you might see it as converting me to bisexuality," Noah continued.

Blaine started to open his mouth to speak, but then he snapped it closed as if he realized speaking his next thought would make the moment worse.

"And Kurt. You know that's a sore spot with me," Sam narrowed his eyes.

"I know baby, and I'm sorry."

"But if you'd like to know the truth, I'll tell you what made me convinced that I was bisexual," Noah offered to Blaine. Noah and Blaine were carrying on their conversation at the same time.

That got Kurt's attention. He turned around to focus his attention on Noah in the backseat. Okay, so sue him for being nosy.

Sam smirked at him, which made Kurt a little wary. Sam was unpredictable tonight.

"I'll speak up a bit since Princess is so concerned with knowing it, too," Noah said directly to Kurt instead of Blaine.

Kurt wrinkled his nose at Noah, his usual response to the name, and Sam laughed at him.

"Well, what was it?" Blaine's interest was real.

"The thing that convinced me that I was bisexual," Noah hesitated, and Blaine leaned closer to him in anticipation. Kurt felt like throttling him to get to the fucking point already.

"Was?" Kurt prompted.

"Kurt. Patience. This is important." Sam hushed him.

Noah smirked at Kurt and then fastened his stare on Blaine. "It was Evans' fucking trouty mouth that did it for me."

Blaine's mouth dropped open and he stared at Sam, before darting his eyes down to Sam's mouth. Sam smirked and looked at Kurt with a challenge in his eyes.

"What the hell?" Kurt shouted, looking at Sam in disbelief. He could feel the anger starting to build.

Sam shrugged, "We experimented to see how many balls I could fit in my mouth. He was impressed."

Kurt heard the door slam shut, and he saw Blaine stalk into Noah's house. Noah sighed, tapped fists with Sam and followed him.

Kurt turned to Sam. "You didn't?"

"I didn't what?" Sam asked defiantly.

"What the fuck, Sam? Noah?" Kurt didn't even bother turning on the engine again.

Sam leaned over to kiss him, but Kurt shrugged him off.

He was too pissed now. Noah? Sam had actually fooled around with Noah? And how was that the right way to tell Kurt about it?

"Kurt," Sam's voice was husky, and he still sounded irritated. Well, fuck that. He could just be mad.

"Kurt," Sam repeated.

"WHAT?" Kurt shouted, gesturing wildly at him. "What do you want to tell me now? He's better in bed than me? He's sexier? He gives better blowjobs? What?"

"Calm down," Sam caught Kurt's hands and dragged him out of the driver's seat and onto his lap.

Kurt was sitting awkwardly, and he tried to get off Sam, but Sam wasn't having any of that.

"I _am_ calm."

Sam dropped his mouth to hover over Kurt's ear. "Gotcha," he whispered.

Kurt froze, and Sam burst out laughing.

"You shit," Kurt whispered accusingly.

"Yes, I am. But you deserved that."

"Oh my god, Sam. That was awful! How could you do that?" Kurt wanted to stay mad but he was just so relieved that Sam hadn't been with Noah that he could squeal.

"Well, we did experiment, but that was totally innocent. It just seemed like it fit perfectly into this situation."

"You experimented with balls in your mouth?" Kurt wasn't sure he wanted to know the details.

"Yep. Noah wanted to see how many would fit."

"How many of what?"

"Gumballs," Sam laughed.

"Oh my god, you two are such dorks."

"But you love dorks."

"You are so fucking lucky I do, too," Kurt agreed.

"Yes, I am. Now take me some place where I can sing in Spanish and you can molest me," Sam slapped his ass and he got back into the driver's seat.

Now, that was a challenge he could handle.


	18. Chapter 18

Kurt hadn't had a girls' night with only Rachel in a while. And they weren't this time either, since they'd invited Mercedes in an attempt to fix what had gone wrong in their relationship. She had been talking to him more often over the past few weeks, but he couldn't help but think she was a little pissed at him over Sam. It's not that she wanted Sam for herself, at least he didn't think so. It was more like she missed the attention she'd gotten.

Rachel was all over the place with her emotions. She'd been spending more time with Quinn lately, and it seemed like the two of them had bonded over their issues with Finn. Kurt was all for whatever would knock some sense into Rachel about marrying Finn.

They were seated on Kurt's bed, passing bowls of popcorn, chips and other things he really shouldn't be eating between the three of them. They were watching a marathon of romantic comedies.

Sam was at home, well, Rachel's house, and he was skyping with his parents tonight. He missed them a lot, and he promised them he'd either call or skype every day while he was in Lima. He and his parents were planning to discuss Burt's offer for tuition. Sam had promised that he wouldn't try to renege and turn down the offer, but Kurt was leaving it up to the Evans family to make the final decision. But he couldn't imagine Kent State without Sam there now that he knew Sam had been accepted.

Mercedes and Rachel were discussing boyfriend complaints, so Kurt stayed silent. He didn't want a repeat of the last sleepover.

Until Rachel pulled out a necklace that had a diamond ring hanging from it.

Kurt shot up and stared at her. "Rachel!"

"Listen, I know that Finn has had some problems lately, but I love him. When I think about my future, no matter where I am, he's there beside me."

"Do you really want to talk about this in front of Mercedes?" Kurt asked pointedly.

"It's fine."

"Rachel, the boy practically threatened to kill himself to get you to say yes, so why would you think this was a good idea?"

"What?" Mercedes sat up.

"He explained himself to me, and to my dads. He knew it was desperate, but he said he couldn't stand the idea of losing me. He's better now."

"He's not _better_. He's _getting_ better. There's a difference, Rachel." Kurt was shocked.

He was normally all about giving people second chances but there had to be a line that you wouldn't cross to do it.

"Is this about Finn and his nervous breakdown thing?" Mercedes asked.

"Yes, and it wasn't a nervous breakdown actually. It was an _I can't stand to be alone so I'll manipulate everybody who cares about me so that someone will worship the ground I walk on forever_ breakdown."

"Kurt, that's not fair," Rachel frowned at him.

"Just stop Mrs. Schuester. You can feel free to marry him if that's what you want. But you will not tell _me_ that I'm not being _fair_ to him. You have no idea what he did to me, the entire time he's known me. Even after becoming my brother."

"What did he do, Kurt?" Mercedes asked quietly. "All we heard was what you were yelling about in the auditorium. We didn't hear what he said."

"I found out that all his latent homophobia, all of the insults, and comments and accusations he used against me. It wasn't homophobia at all. He was trying to keep me from letting other men in my life because he missed having me love _him_. He wanted to keep me and Sam apart not because he wanted to help Sam, but because he wanted to be the only guy in my life other than my father. He admitted to it. He didn't love _me_, and he didn't _want_ me. But he wanted _me_ to want _him_ again. Like I did sophomore year."

Mercedes looked at him with disgust. "That's horrible!"

Rachel's face had gone utterly pale. "He never told me that. He said you were overreacting."

"Sam figured it out and confronted him over it. And he admitted it. He looked me in the eye and admitted that it was the reason he always tried to convince me that I couldn't take no for an answer, that I was too pushy and couldn't accept that I couldn't have Sam in my life. And the worst part is that I believed him. I really thought that's how people saw me, which is why I never tried with Sam the first time. I thought I was pushing Sam just like Finn said."

"So that's why he went after Blaine all the time," Mercedes responded.

"Yes, Blaine was safe from being pushed away when he was at Dalton. But when he'd visit, Finn was always there, making comments, and insulting Blaine, and trying to confront me over Blaine. Then when Blaine transferred, it became more direct bullying. The bullying me was always emotional. And I can't trust him anymore."

"I understand that, Kurt," Rachel looked as if she wanted to argue something else, but she didn't continue.

"Rachel, how will you feel in ten years? Do you really want to look back on your relationship and not be _sure_ that he didn't manipulate you into marrying him?"

"I love him," she whispered.

"I know you do. And if he loved you as much as he thinks he does, then even _hinting_ that he'd kill himself if you turned him down would have _never _even crossed his mind."

"I know he loves me," Rachel defended quickly.

"I'm glad you're sure about it. But I saw you, Rachel. I saw you fall apart when you, Quinn and I were in that bathroom. You stood there and said you couldn't tell him no if he was going to kill himself. And I also saw how defeated you looked when you were lying on your bed with your head in Quinn's lap. What's changed? Why aren't you as freaked out now as you were then?"

"I don't know," Rachel admitted. "Quinn and I talked, and she had some points that I couldn't argue against either. But I know I love him. And he loves me."

"Then he can wait for you, can't he? Why is it so important to get married right after school when he's struggling with this?"

"I don't know."

"I do. It's NYADA," Mercedes added.

"He said he'd come to New York with me," Rachel argued.

"And you can go to New York together without being married, can't you?"

"Well, yes."

"So then why does he absolutely need to marry you now?"

"I don't know!" She shouted back.

"Then you need to find out. Because that reason, whatever it is for Finn, is what you need to base this decision on, Rachel. I can't answer it for you because I don't talk to him anymore."

"Why not?" Mercedes asked.

"Because I don't trust him. And I was ready to claw his eyes out when Sam got him to admit what he was doing to me. So, I also don't trust myself to not try it again. I don't want another confrontation that could end up hurting Carole and Dad."

Kurt turned back to Rachel. "Do your dads know that you said yes?"

"No, they don't." Rachel said sadly.

"Don't you think that there might be something wrong with the idea if you feel like you have to hide it from them?"

"I don't know anymore. What would you do if Sam proposed to you?"

"Well, honestly, I'd say no. Even though I've been in love with him forever, we haven't been together long enough for that."

"Forever?" Mercedes looked up in surprise.

"Cedes, you knew how I felt about him back when he first moved here. That never changed," Kurt looked with some slight disbelief. How could she not have known?

"I knew you were disappointed that he was with Quinn. But you never said you were in love with him."

"Oh, dear. This is going to take forever," He shifted so he could look at her. "My relationship with Sam has been going on since before I went to Dalton. And I slept with Sam last year. Back when all those rumors were going on. The one about me and Sam was true."

"WHAT? How could you not tell me this?"

"Because you were all about me being with Blaine," Kurt admitted.

Mercedes looked stunned.

Sometimes he wondered if he had been just too good an actor when it came to Sam back then. He'd managed to keep everybody unaware of how he'd felt about him. To him, it seemed obvious, especially whenever Sam was in the room.

"But, what about when he started flirting with me?" Mercedes looked hurt.

"Cedes, when he admitted to being attracted to you, he and I broke it off. We officially called an end to everything in New York last year. I'll be honest, I didn't want to, but I wasn't going to hurt you."

Mercedes nodded. "But why didn't you just break up with Blaine?"

"Because I screwed up. I screwed everything up from the beginning. I thought that letting Sam go was what was best for him. I'd always wanted him, and part of me thought I wasn't good enough for him."

"That's ridiculous," Mercedes admonished him.

"I see that now, boo," Kurt smiled at her before turning back to Rachel.

"Now back to you! You need to discuss things with Finn. If he can give you a good reason to get married now, a reason that won't wait for five more years, then you can make a decision about marrying him. If he can't, then I think _that's_ your answer."

"That's a good idea."

"Okay, now back to the movies. This conversation is too weird and emotional, and our periods don't come until the end of the month."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Hey Satan!" Kurt shouted at Santana in the hallway.

"Sup, Lady Lips?" Santana leaned against the door frame and smirked at him.

"You ratted me out to Sam!" Kurt accused only half-heartedly.

"Well, I wasn't the one falling all over myself for the hot Spanish teacher, so you set yourself up for that one," she laughed.

"Oh really, so you weren't slapping your ass when he looked at you?" Kurt smirked back at her.

"Maybe. But my woman was right there with me. You left your man at home," Santana shrugged.

"Hush, you heathen. Where is Britt?"

"She's off practicing something with Mike. They're helping Mr. Clueless with his Spanish song."

"Crap. I was hoping she could help me out this week. When is Mr. Schue doing his song?"

"Friday."

"I'll text her and ask her to call me."

"What kind of favor is it? Is it the kind where she could earn the right to watch you and Sam have sex as a reward?"

"That idea came to you way too quickly. It's a bit disturbing how quickly actually."

"The idea is wanky though. And I'm all for wanky."

"I'm not sure which of you is more sexually deviant. You or Noah."

"I think we're tied. Unless I get to watch you and Sam. Then I'd be way ahead of Puck."

The smile on Santana's face was what could only be described as unholy. If he and Sam weren't the current objects of her wanky desire, he'd find it funny.

"Hey baby," Sam's voice appeared at his ear. "What are you doing?"

"Santana is trying to convince me to let her and Britt watch us have sex," Kurt explained.

"Well, now. That's a little sudden. Shouldn't we get to know them a little better first?" Sam laughed. "Wait. Now that I think about it. Britt is your ex, and Santana is mine. So we already do know them." Sam let his voice trail off quietly.

"SAM!" Kurt turned to glare at him.

"Well, now I know who to go to when I want to call this chip in," Santana slapped Sam on the butt as she walked away.

Sam laughed again as he watched her walk away, and then he turned back and met the Hummel Eye-Fucking Death Glare again. "What? I was just saying."

"I know what you were just saying, you pervert," Kurt slammed his locker shut and kissed him.

"You like me being a pervert," Sam pointed out.

"I draw the line at exhibitionism," Kurt retorted.

"Fine," he sighed dramatically. "Ruin all my fun."

Kurt reached to pull Sam closer to him. "I need to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Rachel's having some more issues with Finn. When I talked to Dad and Carole about it this morning, they asked me to do something, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"What did they ask?"

"They want me to talk to Finn. I don't know why they think he'll listen to me about Rachel. Rachel's told him she'll marry him," Kurt sighed with frustration.

"What the hell? I thought that was settled before."

"Me too."

"So what are you asking me exactly?"

"Well, I'm not crazy about the idea because I know how angry I get at him. But Dad and Carole don't ask me for much when it comes to him. And I'm not sure it would be good for you to be there. So would you be upset if I go talk to him today? I'm not doing it at home. We'd just end up fighting and hurting Dad and Carole even more."

Sam put his arms around Kurt and sighed. "I don't like it either, but I'm not upset about it. Do you want me nearby or will you be okay?"

"I think I'll be fine," Kurt nodded at him. "I love you, Sam."

He could tell every inch of Sam wanted to go with him to be there to help if Finn got out of line. Every day they were together, he learned so much about what they'd missed by being apart. And it made him angrier at Finn every time he thought about it.

"I love you too."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt found him in the weight room. Kurt would normally never set foot in the weight room at McKinley, but this was as good a place as any to talk to Finn. Maybe with more people around, they could avoid a scene.

"Hey dude," was Finn's normal greeting. Like nothing had ever changed between them. It sounded unnatural to Kurt.

Kurt threw down some brochures on colleges for New York and gestured to them. They were from colleges in the New York area. He knew Rachel. Her heart was set on Finn being there with her.

"What are those?"

"Colleges. In New York. With football and performing arts programs."

"College isn't for everyone," Finn replied without looking up at him.

"Neither is marriage," Kurt countered.

"I can't believe she told you."

"She told me all of it. Who do you think told Dad and Carole that you nearly threatened Rachel that you'd kill yourself if she said no?"

Finn stiffened but he didn't look at Kurt at all. "It's none of your business if she says yes or no."

"I love Rachel, and she loves you. She doesn't deserve to be manipulated into marrying you because you're insecure about your future."

"That's not what's going on!" Finn stood and shouted.

"Really? Then what is? Why do you want to marry her _now_? Why not five years from now after you've both finished school?"

"Because I can't lose her. And if she leaves for New York, I'll lose her," Finn sat back down with a sigh. "Don't get down on me about this, dude. Rachel's like the only good thing I've got going in my life right now."

"So go to New York with her. As an unmarried couple. Nothing's stopping you from doing that. But you need to stop and think about _why _Rachel is the only good thing you've got going in your life. That's your fault."

"It's because I feel like I'm nothing without her," Finn whispered. "It's like it was before. With you." Finn stopped when his eyes began to water. "I don't mean that like it sounds."

"I know you don't. But that part of you, Finn. The need that you have. To want someone to wrap their entire life around you. That's unhealthy. And what you did to me, that reached levels of unhealthy I can't even describe. Do you even _realize _that?" Kurt needed to know.

"Yes. I realize it. Sam was right about all that. Especially how good it feels when _you_ are on someone's side. It makes you feel invincible. He's right. And I missed that. I know that's messed up. But it's true. I would say those things to you, and then I'd get angry with myself because I didn't mean them."

"Finn, you practically called me a stalker and a rapist. More than once. In order to make me think that I wasn't good enough for Sam, so that I would continue to make you feel better about yourself. I'm not sure that's forgivable, to be honest."

Finn flinched as the words stalker and rapist left Kurt's mouth.

"I know."

"And the fact that not only did you do that, but at the time you did it, you also knew it was wrong, makes it worse. Even after Sam figured it out, I _wanted_ to believe the best in you. I hoped that you were just not aware that you were doing that. But now, you're sitting there and telling me that you did know it was wrong. And you didn't care enough about me to stop doing it."

"I'm sorry," Finn whispered. He did look sorry. But sorry wasn't enough in this situation. "Is there anything I can do to make it any better?"

"No. But you can do one thing."

"What?"

"Stop doing the same thing to Rachel. Whether she'll admit it or not, she's not strong. And if you do this to her, in ten years, you'll be wondering whether or not she only married you to keep you alive."

And then Kurt walked out, leaving yet another episode in the drama of Furt behind him.


	19. Chapter 19

He was twenty minutes into his therapy session with Karen before the subject of Finn even came up.

Kurt had spent the first part of the session talking about Sam and his family, Kent State, and his attempt to repair his relationship with Mercedes. And Karen was quiet in that strange way she is when she's trying to draw Kurt into a conversation he doesn't want to have. It's unnerving how she did that to him, but he guessed it was all part of her job as a therapist.

"So, have you talked to your step-brother?" She asked when he'd taken a breath and allowed her to speak.

"Yes. Dad and Carole asked me to."

"Did they say why?"

"Because they think he'll listen to me about marrying Rachel."

"Do _you_ think he will?'

"I don't know. He used to listen to me. Sort of."

"Go on," she prompted.

"He used to come to me for advice. That started a long time ago, before our parents even dated. Back when I thought I loved him. It was just a crush, I know that now. But at the time, it felt like love."

"What kind of advice did he come to you for?"

Kurt laughed, "Ironically, about his very straight, very confusing love life."

She just looked at him again. That was the signal to keep talking because she wanted more elaboration. He was beginning to know her too well, he thought.

"I think he knew the whole time how I felt about him. He never said. But he'd ask me what he should do to help Quinn and the baby. And then later on, it was about winning and keeping Rachel."

"And?"

"And it was really irritating. I wanted him to want me at the time. But all he could think about was the two of them. He was always either with them one at a time, or even together when he was so confused he would almost cheat on them."

Kurt fidgeted in his seat and continued.

"But I eventually got over him. I knew he'd never love me that way, because he's straight. So I moved on and eventually there was Sam. And then, you know what happened after that."

"Yes, and did you bring that up with him when you talked the other day?"

"Yes, and I almost wish I hadn't."

"Why?"

"Because I found out that he always knew that what he was doing was creepy and unfair to me. He admitted it the other day. He knew that when he was convincing me to stay away from other guys it was only so I'd stay pining over him to make him feel good about himself. He knew it! And it still didn't make him stop. That was frightening. I always kind of thought he wasn't aware of it. Well, I'd hoped it."

"And now that you know differently?"

"It makes it worse, honestly. It makes it feel almost diabolical. Like he wanted me to be miserable and alone because it was the only way he could be sure that HE wouldn't be. I hate that. And I hate myself for falling for it."

"You hate yourself?"

"Well, no. I guess I hate the way I acted. I let him get in my head. I let him convince me that being attracted to Sam was wrong. And I hate that I could have had so much more with Sam, so much sooner, if I hadn't let Finn into my head. And that was before Dad and Carole got married. Then afterwards, we were supposed to be brothers. And Sam came back, and he started doing it again. Getting into my head and trying to keep me from Sam."

"So the behavior didn't change after the wedding?"

"No, in fact, the wedding was strange too. I felt weird about it. Not about Carole and Dad getting married. It was the reception. Now that I know what Finn was doing, I kind of understand what happened at the reception. But at the time, it bothered me. I just didn't realize why it bothered me."

"What happened?"

"Well, that same week was when that jock I told you about threatened to kill me."

He'd never given Karen David's name. He told her about his no-outing policy and how it had backfired when he'd told Blaine, and she agreed. Even though he knew that anything he said was confidential, _he_ would know he'd told and that was what was important. She said she would have been fine without knowing names at all, but Kurt found the relationships between all his friends too confusing to leave out names. She'd constantly be asking "_now who's he_?" for clarification.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Well, Finn and Noah were the only two guys in Glee that didn't try to get the jock to back off. Noah couldn't do it, because he'd already been to juvie, and he was on probation, so if he got into a fight, he'd get violated and sent back. And I would have never wanted that for him, so I was fine with him staying out of it. Sam actually fought the jock for me. He got a black eye for it, but he was willing to do anything to protect me. I should have seen that then," he smiled.

"And Finn didn't?"

"No, in fact he actually told Rachel he wasn't going to get involved because he didn't want to end up bullied by the football team."

"And you know what I'm going to ask next," Karen prompted.

"How did I feel about that? I was resigned. I was also angry, but Finn was never reliable when it came to that sort of thing. He was part of the bullying in freshman and some of sophomore year, so he was used to just going along with it. The only times in his life when he's gone against physical bullying was when he was either forced or guilted into it. And yet, he was an emotional bully," Kurt shook his head as he talked.

"It makes me so angry. It hurts. It hurts that he would care so little about me that he'd want to isolate me from people. Just so he could have a simpering follower."

"You were telling me about the reception."

"Well, Dad was pissed at Finn for not helping me with that jock. So to make it up to me, supposedly, Finn and the rest of New Directions _put together a little number in your honor. _And he dedicated to me. I was to make up for bailing on me over the bullying."

"Why did you use air quotes just now?"

"Those were Finn's words. He made a best man's speech, and after talking about Dad and Carole, he directed some of it to me. And so he had the Glee club put on a song for me."

"You sound as if the song upset you."

"Well, at the time, I thought it was strange. But thinking about it now, yes, it upsets me. He sang me a love song. Well, it wasn't just me. He sang to Rachel, who was his girlfriend at that time, and Carole, and me. It was Bruno Mars's _Just The Way You Are_. And he wanted me to dance with him because he'd told me a few days prior that dancing made him uncomfortable. It was supposed to be making it up to me that he'd bailed on me. But it was a love song."

"Does it bother you that it was a love song?"

"Now, yes. At the time, not really. But because I can never turn off my brain thanks to knowing what Finn's been doing, it bothers me. Why a love song? I would have preferred a song about brothers, or even something totally lame like that old Michael Jackson song, _Ben_, which is about a freaking rat. Not that any normal guy, especially a gay one, would like to be serenaded with a song about a rat. But you see my point," he gestured.

"I do?"

"I really hate it when you do that," Kurt glared at her.

"Most clients do," she said simply and smiled back at him.

"I'm sure they do," he smirked at her. "You're frustrating, you know."

"I do?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH. That really gets on my nerves."

"Actually, I think there's something else on your nerves, and you're deflecting it right now so that you don't have to deal with it."

"And I really _really_ hate it when you do _that_. Aren't we out of time yet?" Kurt was ready to get out of there.

"Technically, yes. You were scheduled for an hour. But, I don't have anyone scheduled during this current hour, so I didn't bother stopping you. Now, go on. Finish telling me about the reception," she gestured for him to continue.

"It pisses me off because I know now that he was doing to me. And I can't help but wonder if there was a bigger reason for choosing that stupid song. Like, was he trying to make me fall in love with him again by choosing that one? He was singing to his girlfriend, and his mother, and then me."

"And that bothers you?"

"There were so many other songs that were more appropriate. He could have done a song for Carole and Rachel about love and a different song for me. But he chose to put us all together and sing _us_ a love song. I loved it at the time even though I thought the song choice was strange. Because I thought he'd finally gotten a grip on his homophobia. Well, what I thought was homophobia anyway. But now, I can't help feeling that it was intentional. And now the whole thing feels tainted for me. He even gave us a _couple_ name."

"A couple name?"

"In Glee, when two people start dating, their names are joined somehow. With my old boyfriend, it was Klaine, for Kurt and Blaine. It's stupid, and the one they use for me and Sam is awful," Kurt laughed.

"And that one is what?"

"Well, the one they use that I refuse to use is Kum," Kurt shrugged and he watched Karen attempt to hold in a laugh.

"Yes, I can see how that one might be a problem."

Kurt laughed again, "Yeah. I prefer Hevans, a combination of our last names, but the group refuses to use that one because they have way too much fun with the other name."

"From what you've told me about your group members, I can imagine they do."

"But anyway, Finn gave us a couple name. Furt. He called it brothers from another mother, but we don't use those names for pairings that aren't in relationships."

"And that makes you uncomfortable now?"

"Yes, it does. Because I want to know his motive for doing it."

"Did it make you uncomfortable to get that couple name then?"

"No. It seemed sweet. But right now, I look back on a lot of things that Finn did that I'm second guessing now."

"How so?"

"Because now I'm wondering what his motives were doing them. And it makes everything feel wrong and like, well, a betrayal. He was always telling me that I was too pushy. That I didn't know when no meant no. That I was selfish for wanting to be near Sam. And then he turns around and sings lyrics that include _Oh, you know you know you know I'd never ask you to change. If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same_."

"Go on," she responded.

"And I want to know which one is the lie."

"If you knew. Would it change how you feel about Finn right now?"

"I don't know."

"How _do_ you feel about Finn right now?"

"I don't know. I feel like I should hate him for everything. But I can't say for sure that I do. I feel almost sorry for him. And I want to help him sometimes. I can't admit that to Sam, because he'll lose his temper over it. I can't even be mad at Sam for it, because he's afraid that Finn will do something to me. I want to help Rachel too, but in order to do that, I'd have to help Finn. But then I wonder if my desire to help him is just a product of some other weird shit that Finn has put in my head. I feel like I'll never know my real feelings about it because I'll always be wondering _Is Finn manipulating me again_? in the back of my mind."

"Why can't you admit it to Sam? Is it just Sam's temper that keeps you from telling him, or is there something more?"

"Sam is protective of me. I don't believe in using violence, but Sam went after Blaine when he hit me. I made Sam promise to stop fighting for me, and he agreed, but he didn't want to. And I saw his face when we were arguing with Finn. When Sam figured Finn out, he looked like he wanted to murder Finn. But I was the one who ended up going off on him. I think I really would have clawed Finn's eyes out if Sam hadn't been holding me. And I don't fight. Ever. I can take abuse. I can take being thrown in dumpsters. I can take being slushied. I can take being punched. I can take being thrown against lockers. That stuff just slides right off my back. But what Finn did. It was. I don't know how to fight that. I can't even think of an argument to use against that."

"That bothers you." It wasn't a question this time.

"I think, looking back on it right now, that Finn is the only person I can say that I've ever truly wanted to _hurt_. I wanted to hurt him, physically. I wanted to beat the shit out of him for what he put me through. For the things he made me think about myself. About how awful he made me feel about my feelings for Sam. I really could have killed him at that moment and never shed a tear."

"And that scares you." Again with the non-question.

"Yes it does. I think that if I don't find a way to forgive Finn, I won't like what I become. And I don't want Sam to know, because I'm afraid of losing him."

"What makes you think you'll lose him?"

"I'm afraid if he thinks that I want to help Finn, that he'll leave me. He was just as hurt by Finn's actions. He was bullied into avoiding me too, even though his bullying was different than mine. I'm afraid he'll think that I still want to be with Finn. And I don't. I've always wanted Sam. Even when I thought I wanted Blaine."

"Does Sam know that? That you've always wanted him?"

"I hope so. I've told him enough times. He's not like Blaine. He isn't as confident as he wants people to think he is."

"What do you mean he isn't like Blaine? How?"

"Blaine was scared. Well, I was scared too, but in a different way. Blaine had something bad happen to him at his first high school. He was beaten for being gay. So he's not as affectionate in public as I am. It made him uncomfortable to try, so I didn't bother. He never kissed me in front of people in school, or in any public situation actually. The one time he did do anything publicly was at prom."

"When he danced with you."

Kurt had told her about prom in an earlier session so he wasn't surprised she remembered it. She remembered a lot of things he said.

"We danced once. The rest of the time we stood around awkwardly and pretended we weren't even there together."

"And you didn't like that?"

"I _understood_ it, but I didn't like it. And Sam's not like that," he returned with a smile. "He isn't afraid to walk up to me in school and just kiss me when I'm standing there with a hundred other students. He will hold my hand when we walk down the hall. He touches me every chance he gets. He doesn't want to hide with me."

"He sounds special."

"He is. My dad once told me that until I found someone as open and as brave as me, I'd have to go it alone."

"And Sam is that for you?"

"Yes. He is."

"Have you actually told him that?"

Had he? He told Sam all the time that he loved him, but had he ever actually told him how much Sam's behavior meant to him?

"No, I haven't."

"Do you think you should?"

"Do _you_ think I should?" He asked, knowing she'd just frown and stare at him till he answered anyway. She had an annoying habit of making him come to these decisions by himself. And like clockwork, the frown appeared.

"Yes, I should. I know that. And I will. Maybe it will make him feel more secure if I decide I'm going to help Finn. Which I haven't decided by the way, before you ask."

"I wasn't going to ask," she smiled at him.

"Sure, you weren't." Kurt didn't believe that for a second.

"Fair enough," she admitted.

"Was that an admission of guilt?" Kurt's eyes widened in faked disbelief.

She stood and smirked. Really smirked at him. "And now I believe that's all the time we have for today."

Kurt grinned. "I won. I finally won."

"Congratulations," she responded drily.

"Can I ask you a question? If it's too personal, then feel free to not answer. I know we talked about that whole self-disclosure thing during the first session."

She'd made it clear that self-disclosure was only appropriate if it furthered treatment goals. And she would only self-disclose if the knowledge would help Kurt. It wouldn't be to relay information that had no purpose in his sessions.

"Go ahead," she gestured as they walked to the door.

"Why are you so okay with me being gay? I tried talking to a therapist during my freshman year. Before I was even out of the closet. He knew I was gay, because obviously it's never been huge secret, and he was uncomfortable with it. Of course, he was also a very religious person. So that was another strike against me in his eyes, I guess. When I'd even start to bring it up, he would get this look on his face that made it clear that he disapproved."

"Then that therapist was very unprofessional then, Kurt. He should have never made you feel uncomfortable no matter what his beliefs were. Therapy is about the client, and not the therapist. I'm sorry that it happened to you. But that doesn't really answer your question does it?"

"Well, no. It doesn't."

"And it's _that_ important to you to know this?"

This was one of those borderline areas she'd mentioned. It might be important to him, but it wasn't crucial to the progress of his therapy to know the answer.

"Kind of. Well, yes."

"Kurt, in my opinion, love is love. And if you find that person that you are meant to be with for the rest of your life, then I think it shouldn't matter what gender that person might be. Do you think that satisfies your question?"

"I _think_ I may love you," Kurt grinned at her.

"And _that _would be called transference," she laughed and pushed him towards the door. "Although since you aren't doing it unconsciously, I think you'll survive. Now go transfer that love back to your Sam."

"Thank you."

He was thanking her for telling him when she really didn't have to. He didn't realize how important it was to him until he'd asked it.

"I'll see you next week, okay? You can make an appointment before you leave, if you'd like."

Kurt nodded at her.

"And you're welcome."


	20. Chapter 20

Kurt turned his cell phone back on as soon as he stepped out of Karen's office. It was her policy to keep them off during sessions, and he thought it was a good idea. It limited distractions while talking about things.

Once the phone booted up, a deluge of messages came through. There were six missed calls. Five text messages from Santana, and a collection of messages from Britt, Rachel, and even Quinn. None from Sam though.

Kurt stopped in the parking lot and scrolled to open Santana's messages, and his heart stopped.

**From Satan: Trouty's hurt at ER **

**From Satan: Answer us Kurt, Sam's hurt.**

**From Satan: Where the fuck are you Kurt?**

A wave of nausea rose in the pit of his stomach. He ran to his car, dialing Santana's contact on the way. She picked up, and he felt like he was going to throw up.

"Where is he? Is he okay?" Kurt nearly shouted into the phone.

"He's at Lima Memorial. Still in the ER. The fucking football team jumped him after school. Where are you?"

"On my way. I was in therapy. I can't keep my phone on in there. Is he okay?" Kurt's voice wavered on the question.

Not Sam. The football team can do whatever they want to him. But they can't touch Sam. Not his Sam.

"He's conscious. He's going out of his mind because we couldn't find you. We just got a hold of your dad a little while ago, and he's calling Sam's parents."

Oh God. This was his fault. The fucking football team hated any displays of homosexuality, and he and Sam hadn't exactly been hiding the fact that they were together. Since teaching Kurt a lesson had never worked out well, they'd moved on to Sam. And it was all Kurt's fault.

The tears in his eyes were making it almost impossible to drive. He wiped them away quickly, dropping the phone from its cradle between his ear and his shoulder.

He couldn't lose Sam.

He grabbed the phone and put it back to his ear. "I'm almost there Santana. Tell him I'm on my way."

"I will. But be careful. We can't have you in the ER too."

He threw his phone down on the seat next to him, and drove as fast as he could go given that he could barely see.

He pulled into the parking lot at the hospital and parked in the area closest to the door. He didn't care if the fucking thing got towed as long as he got inside.

He saw his father at the end of the hall. "DAD!" Kurt shouted as he ran towards him.

"He's still in there. We got in touch with his parents. Since I have partial responsibility for him, they've got me listed as family. Me and Rachel's dads. You can go in as soon as they come back."

Kurt buried his head on his dad's shoulder and cried. "This is my fault. If I wasn't so god damned determined to be out and proud, this wouldn't have happened."

"Kurt, this isn't your fault. It's the fault of the stupid football players." Burt rubbed Kurt's back. It was a sign of his own distress that he hadn't warned Kurt about his language.

Puck and Blaine were seated in the ER waiting room, and they both nodded a greeting at Kurt. Rachel and Quinn were pacing in front of the window. Santana and Britt were nearby, and Santana was crying. Pulling himself together, Kurt walked over to her and put his arms out, and she shot up off the chair into his embrace.

"He was so scared. He kept asking for you," she muttered against Kurt's chest.

"He'll be fine. I won't allow it to be any other way."

"Baby Gay, you really do think you can just command that to happen, don't you?" Santana laughed.

"Of course, I'm the Avenging Angel to your Satan. Together we can command the entire universe. Starting with Sam Evans. He will get better. I won't give him any other choice." Kurt squeezed her gently.

A few moments later, a nurse walked up and smiled at Burt. "Is this the Kurt he's been asking for?"

"Yes, I am." Kurt replied anxiously. "Can I see him?"

"Yes, we have him stable. But he says if I don't let him see you then he's going to come out here against medical advice."

"That sounds like him," Kurt replied with a watery smile.

The nurse led him back to the room Sam was assigned.

"Sam," Kurt's voice broke.

Sam's face was swollen, and one eye was bruised. The knuckles on his fists were scrapped raw, and some of them were bandaged. He tried to smile at Kurt, but he grimaced from obvious pain when he attempted it. His lower lip was split, and there were stitches above his unbruised eye. Sam attempted to sit up, but he gave that idea up quickly with a gasp of pain.

"I'm okay baby," Sam assured him.

"No, you're not. But you will be. But this is definitely not okay, Sam." Kurt pulled a chair up next to his bedside and took his hand. "This is _so_ not okay." And then Kurt broke down again.

"Shh. It could have been worse, but it wasn't. Don't cry."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. I didn't get the message. I was in with Karen."

"I figured. I knew you had that this afternoon," Sam shifted slightly and groaned.

"Can I do anything to help?" Kurt shot up off the chair.

"Just stay. That's all I need," Sam leaned back gently and closed his eyes.

"I will, baby. Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"I was worried about you," Sam muttered sleepily.

"Worried about me?" Kurt whispered incredulously.

"I thought maybe…they'd got to you too," Sam sighed as he drifted off.

Kurt sat back down and started crying again. How could they do this to Sam? Sam was utterly perfect and the sweetest person Kurt had ever met. How could someone hurt him so badly for such a stupid reason?

Sam's bed was elevated just enough that Kurt could lean his head against it as he held Sam's hand. Who had done this? Did they catch the members of the football team that had participated? He stopped trying to wipe the tears from his eyes when he realized that they wouldn't stop falling.

The sound of the door opening brought Kurt out of his thoughts. His dad walked in quietly and shut the door gently when he saw that Sam was sleeping.

"The doctor will be in here in a few minutes. They want to move him upstairs for observation at least overnight," Burt whispered to him.

"Okay."

"He was lucky Kurt. Puck and Blaine caught the tail end of it, and they intervened."

"He was worried about _me_, Dad. Santana said he was going out of his mind. He thought they'd done something to me, too. He was here, hurting, and he was worried about _me_," Kurt tried to control his sobs so that he didn't wake Sam up, but he was failing badly.

"Shh. He's a good man, Kurt. Of course he'd be worried about you." His father's voice sounded a bit strangled.

The doctor came into the room, and he cleared his throat.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Mathison. Are you his father?"

"No, but I'm responsible for him. His parents live in Kentucky, and I share responsibility for him with Hiram and Leroy Berry. We've been given permission to make medical decisions in their absence. His mother is on her way though. She and his siblings are driving up from Kentucky tonight."

"They are?" Kurt wished they were coming for better reasons, but Sam would be so happy to see his mother, Stevie and Stacy.

"He has two broken ribs. Everything else seems to be milder. He was very lucky that those three boys got involved. He'll be in a lot of pain for a while, and we will be keeping him overnight at least. There doesn't seem to be any internal bleeding at this time. But we are going to do a follow up ultrasound in the morning."

"Okay," Burt said tiredly.

"Three? I thought only Noah and Blaine were there?" Kurt looked up at his dad in confusion, and Burt just shrugged.

The doctor left and he is quickly replaced by the smiling nurse from earlier. "I see your arrival calmed him down some."

"Apparently," Kurt smiled weakly.

"He was very worried about you. My name is Kayla. He'll be going upstairs as soon as they can get him assigned a room. The nurses on that floor are very good. They'll take good care of him tonight."

"I guess I won't bother asking if I can stay," Kurt sighed.

"Nope. Rules are rules. But you'll see him tomorrow," she smiled. "He really will be fine."

"He has to be. I won't let him not be okay," Kurt sniffed at her.

She laughed at that. "If he's half as stubborn as you, he'll be going home tomorrow evening."

She woke Sam up to check his vital signs, and she informed him of the room he would be moving to. Sam smiled up at Kurt vaguely. He'd been given a shot of pain medication in his IV, so he would most likely be in and out for a while.

"Hey baby," Kurt whispered.

"Hi. You're okay right? Nobody touched you?" Sam asked quietly.

"I'm fine. I really was at my therapy session. That's the only reason nobody could find me."

"Okay, good," Sam's eyes softened, his fear gone.

"Are you in pain?" Kurt asked worriedly.

"Just a little. If I don't move, it's okay," Sam breathed out as he moved just a bit too much for Kurt's comfort.

"Lie still, Sam." Kurt narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend in warning.

"I'm trying," Sam smirked.

God, he loved that smirk. It was so sexy, and familiar, and it told Kurt that Sam really would be alright. He could smirk like that at Kurt for the rest of his life as long as it meant he'd be okay.

"Don't move. I'm going to kiss you now, and I don't want to hurt you."

Kurt leaned over the bed and dropped a quick and very chaste kiss on Sam's mouth. "Who did this?" he whispered against Sam's mouth.

"Shane's buddies. I didn't see Shane though."

"But why would they be after you?" Kurt asked, confused. "You haven't done anything to them. They didn't even do this when you were going after Mercedes. Why now?"

"Said I humiliated her," Sam said quietly.

"Who said that?" Kurt's voice rose in anger.

"Clancy. He said that Shane was pissed that I humiliated Mercedes."

"How? How in the world could you have humiliated her?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Sam sighed and closed his eyes.

"Sam, please. Tell me."

"Clancy said that Shane was pissed at me for making Mercedes look bad by choosing you instead of her," Sam responded quietly and with obvious regret.

"That's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard. That's the reason they tried to beat you to death?" Kurt's voice continued to rise, and he quieted down when he saw Sam wince.

"Baby, I'm okay."

"This is insane, Sam. Who the hell thinks like that?"

They'd tried to beat Sam to death to defend the honor of a girl who didn't even _want_ Sam? That was so many levels of fucked up, and Kurt didn't even know where to begin.

_They could have killed him_.

Just because Shane was embarrassed that Sam hadn't thought Shane's girlfriend was good enough?

First they'd spent weeks warning Sam to stay away from Mercedes, and now they'd decided to punish him because he had _stayed_ away?

Because Sam had chosen to be with Kurt?

"That's crazy, Sam. They're fucking crazy. Please tell me they were arrested for this?" Kurt begged.

"I don't know. Puck said the police were called, but I was passed out by then apparently."

Kurt had changed his mind about what he'd told the therapist earlier today.

Finn Hudson was now not the only person Kurt wanted to physically hurt. He'd added Shane and his idiotic minions to that list. And Mercedes if she had anything to do with this.

"Sam, I love you," Kurt reminded him with determination.

They would not get away with this. Not this. They could do anything they wanted to Kurt, but they would not get away with hurting his Sam.

"I don't like the sound of that. Scratch that. I love the words, but I'm worried about the tone," Sam's eyebrow rose with concern.

"You just worry about getting better, baby."

"Okay, now I'm _really_ worried about the tone," Sam shifted in discomfort.

"I'm not going to do anything. I promise," Kurt smiled at him.

"Why do I not believe that?" Sam asked dryly.

"Because you have unfounded suspicions," Kurt responded.

"Kurt," Sam warned, but he was distracted by Kayla's entrance.

"Hey there, handsome," Kayla smiled as she entered the room. "Your room is ready. We need to get you up there so you can sleep. Your adorable little boyfriend has to leave you now."

"See, there, Kurt. I _told _you that you were adorable," Sam smirked.

"Hush. Why is it you're always the handsome one?" Kurt stuck his tongue out at Sam. "And I'm not little. I'm as tall as he is."

And then he stuck his tongue out again, this time towards Kayla, who just laughed.

"You're so cute," she smirked at him.

And Kurt sighed again. "Again with the cute."

"If it makes you feel better, _I_ think you're handsome," Sam smiled, and Kurt melted.

"I hate you, sometimes," Kurt laughed. "But I love you more often."

"I love you, too."

Kurt kissed him one more time and let Kayla roll his bed out of the room to take Sam upstairs.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt wandered back out to the ER waiting room slowly, unwilling to believe that those bastards had actually tried to kill Sam for such a stupid reason.

"How is he?" Burt asked as soon as he came through the entry.

"He's okay. They just took him to his room. They pretty much kicked me out. Said since it's after visiting hours I have to come back tomorrow."

"As long as he's okay," Burt sighed with relief. "His mom just called. She's about an hour away. I'm going to head home and let Carole and Finn know. You get home soon, okay?"

"Okay," Kurt sat down on one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room. "He's okay," he said to nobody in particular.

Britt came to sit beside him, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Hey Kurt."

"Hey sweetheart," Kurt leaned his head over to rest it against Brittany's. "He's okay. He's going to be fine," Kurt responded vaguely.

Even to himself, he sounded like he was trying too hard to be convincing.

"He will be. Don't worry," Britt smiled at him, and he found himself feeling a bit better.

There was nothing like love from Britt to make a person feel better. She just did that. She just loved uncompromisingly, and completely, and without hesitation. Was it any wonder why Santana was crazy about her?

"I love you, Britt. Don't ever forget that," he smiled at her.

"I won't. And I love you too," Britt grinned back. "But I can't make out with you again, or Santana will kill you."

Kurt threw his head back and laughed. Only Britt. "That's okay sweetheart."

Rachel and Quinn approached quietly. Rachel kneeled in front of him, and Quinn perched on a nearby table. Both girls looked at him with sympathy.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt," Rachel squeezed his hand gently.

Kurt smiled at Noah, who had his arms around Blaine over in the corner. But Noah didn't return the smile.

Noah was angry. Angrier than Kurt had ever seen him, and it was a little frightening. And Blaine was whispering furiously at his ear.

"Did something else happen?" Kurt looked at Rachel. "Why does Noah look like he's going to murder someone?"

The three girls surrounding him looked uncomfortable, so he detached himself from Britt's arms and crossed the room to where Santana, Noah and Blaine sat. Rory had also arrived. He looked lost, but it was comforting that he'd come. He was close to Sam.

He couldn't ignore the fact that Mercedes wasn't here with them. He couldn't imagine the group not notifying everybody in Glee. He'd received messages from Artie, who'd promised to visit when Sam got settled. Tina and Mike vowed to do the same, and he'd already received a call from Tina about Sam. Even Sugar had texted him to send good wishes to Sam. And they barely knew her.

"What is it?" He addressed all three of them, but he looked directly at Santana when he asked the question.

"I'm never too angry to go off on someone Baby Gay. But even I am too furious to deal with this shit," Santana replied with the strangest non-answer he'd heard.

Noah was staring out the window, and Blaine was stroking his arm, almost placating him. Trying to calm him down.

"Noah, what is it?" Kurt demanded.

He'd never in his life seen Noah this angry.

"Fucking Hudson, Princess. When we… when Blaine and I got there. He was just fucking standing there. Watching those bastards beat the shit out of Sam. He just stood there. Didn't do a fucking thing. Even after Blaine and I went after them." Noah's voice was barely audible.

"No." Kurt gasped at him, unwilling to believe it.

But then again, it was exactly something he could imagine Finn doing. This Finn.

"Yes, Kurt. He did. I was there," Blaine whispered.

"Kurt, it was like he wanted them to do it. It's like he wanted them to kill him. If we hadn't gotten there when we did…" Noah didn't finish the sentence.

He didn't have to.


	21. Chapter 21

Sam woke up the next morning to find his mother smiling at him.

He shifted slightly, and he smiled tiredly up at her. "Hi, Mom."

"Hey sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Mary Evans squeezed her son's hand with obvious relief.

"I'm good. I'm sore but I'm okay. When did you get here?"

"Late last night. I took your brother and sister to the Hummels first and I stopped by here. They let me peek in on you, but I didn't want to wake you up. I also had some papers to sign for them."

"I'm sorry," Sam realized his mother looked exhausted.

"Why are you sorry?"

"You look tired. You must have had a hard night," Sam reasoned.

"Stop worrying about everybody else, Samuel," Mary narrowed her eyes at him in that mother glare that was even more powerful than Kurt's.

"Can't help it," he tried to shrug but stopped when a twinge of pain came.

"Sit still. You're worse than your father sometimes," she complained.

"You sound like Kurt," Sam grinned at her, but damn his mouth hurt. How was he going to kiss Kurt properly now? Fucking football players.

"Good. I'll discuss with him the proper way of dealing with an Evans man who is recovering from something. That way when I get back home, I'll know someone's taking good care of you," she smiled.

"When can I go home? I mean to the Berrys?"

"Actually, you're moving in with the Hummels and Hudsons right now. I can stay for a few days, but Stevie and Stacy can't stay out of school for long. Leroy, Hiram and Burt have already talked about it. With Carole working different hours than Burt, there are more people there to take care of you."

"But, Kurt?"

He couldn't imagine living under the same roof with Kurt and them not getting into enormous amounts of trouble doing something that _goes-down-in-the-tent_.

Sam had loved that expression from the moment Kurt had told him about Burt saying it. He'd thought about slipping it into conversation just to see Burt's reaction, but then his sanity took over and he remembered that it would most likely result in Sam's untimely death.

"I trust that you two can be responsible under the same roof," Mary laughed. "I knew it would just take some time, and you two would be back together."

"We weren't really together back then, Mom."

She didn't need to know that he and Kurt had made love in the motel room his family had shared the previous school year. Neither did Burt for that matter. In fact, the fewer people who knew about that the longer Sam's life expectancy would be.

Sam was positive that it didn't matter to Burt Hummel that Kurt was already eighteen years old. He'd find a way to make them pay. Especially since Sam wouldn't actually be eighteen for a few more weeks.

"Please. Everybody could see how you two felt about each other last year. I was kind of surprised that he didn't come over more often."

"He had a boyfriend then." Sam replied weakly.

"And he has you now. The way it should have been to begin with, if you ask me," Mary adjusted his pillows and smirked at him. "It's about time you figured it out with him."

"I love him, Mom. I loved him last year too, but nothing worked out then."

He knew both his parents loved Kurt too. They'd gotten close to him last year, when Kurt had been helping the Evans family out when they'd lost their home. And Stevie and Stacy thought Kurt hung the moon.

"Is he the real reason you wanted to come back here to finish school? The choir competition was just an excuse, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Sam whispered. "I haven't even told him that, though."

"You should. Kurt's coming in later. He is going to school for a little while. He said he needed to talk to some people, but then he's checking out."

"He's on a mission. I think he's going to kill somebody," Sam smiled wryly.

"I'll help him."

"Mom," Sam warned.

"I mean it. Santana and I are all the back-up that boy needs. Although I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take much to convince Puck either."

"Mom, stop."

"The police contacted me, and the four guys that did this have been arrested. Puck and his boyfriend, which kind of shocked me by the way, why didn't you tell me Puck had come out? Nevermind. They identified them, and they were brought in this morning. Burt's stepson has to be questioned too. I never did find out why, but I'm sure we will. It's supposed to be cut and dried because there were witnesses. But we'll see how it goes."

"Did Kurt tell you the details?" Sam asked quietly.

"Yes, I can't believe they'd beat you up for such an inane reason. But I guess, if people would also beat someone up for just being gay, then anything can happen. Crazy is crazy."

"How's Kurt? He was worried about me last night."

"Still worried. And very angry. Your young man seems very intimidating when he's angry."

"Yes, he is." Sexy too.

They were questioning Finn.

He'd purposely left Finn out when he'd told Kurt what had happened. He didn't want to see the look of pain on his face when he realized that Finn had left Sam hanging. Sam had seen him, just once, right before he'd hit the ground. Finn, standing there, slack-jawed. With no apparent concern for Sam.

He thought that maybe Finn would join in, as Puck and Blaine had. Even Blaine, who deserved to hate Sam for taking Kurt away from him. Blaine, who couldn't fight worth a damn and had probably been kicked out of his fight club for not being able to deck Kurt. Even the _hobbit_ had helped Sam.

Finn Hudson hadn't. Someone who'd traveled all the way to Kentucky to get him to come back to Lima. He'd just stood there. If Sam hadn't seen it happen, he'd deny that it ever could have.

It would kill Kurt to know that. He just hoped that Puck wouldn't tell him. Finn had done enough to Kurt already. Kurt didn't need to deal with anger over this too.

His stomach growled, and his mother smiled at him.

"They said they'd bring you breakfast when you got back from your ultrasound. They should be here in a little bit to take you down there."

"Okay." Sam was hungry but he wasn't in the mood to argue about it. He'd eat when they said he could eat.

They sat, talking quietly, about everything that had been going on since their last skype session. He'd told his parents about dating Kurt the same week that he and Kurt had gotten back together. He'd managed to keep her pretty informed, leaving out obvious things, such as their weekend in the motel. His mom seemed really happy for him.

She told him about what Stevie and Stacy had been up to in the past few weeks. Since it was a Friday, they'd missed school to come see Sam, and they'd be here later during regular visiting hours. She said Kurt was bringing his siblings with him when he arrived later. She'd wanted time to talk to Sam by herself and make sure he was going to be alright.

They talked about Burt's offer to pay tuition for him, and he began tearing up again. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that Burt would do that for him. He knew he shouldn't be that shocked, because Burt was one of the most supportive people he'd ever met, his few slip-ups with Kurt notwithstanding.

They'd taken him down and finished his ultrasound in less than an hour, which was apparently fairly quickly for hospital timing.

And then he was back in his room, trying to eat what the hospital considered food. His mother was chattering away beside him while he chewed slowly and attempted to identify the congealed mass in front of him. Kurt would have a conniption about what they were making him eat, he thought with a smile.

The police came and informed him that the four players who'd assaulted him were charged. Nothing would come of it for weeks, of course, but then there would be court, and all the stressors that involved. But at least they'd pay for what they'd done.

Except for Shane of course. He hadn't actively participated even though Sam knew he'd been the ringleader. So he would get away with it. It seemed unfair, but hell, that was how the world worked sometimes.

He tried sleeping, but the bed was so uncomfortable, and the pain would wake him up regularly. Plus there were nurses in and out of the room constantly, checking on him, taking his vital signs. He was very tired, and the pain medication seemed to make him sleep more than it helped with the aching.

He woke to find his mother had dozed off in the chair next to him. She should really go back to the Hummels house and sleep. She must have worried herself into exhaustion.

Sam grabbed the call remote and punched the button to turn on the television. He scrolled down the volume so it wouldn't wake his mother, and he searched until he found something halfway decent to watch. What he wouldn't give to have Avatar on right now. He was so fucking bored. And tired. And sore. And angry.

The door opened slowly, and Kurt came in, Stevie and Stacy in tow. His brother and sister squealed, which woke his mother up of course, and they scrambled towards the bed. Kurt scooped Stacy up in one arm and body blocked Stevie.

"Guys, you can't climb on him right now. He's really sore, okay," Kurt's voice was firm but full of affection for his siblings.

"Hey Sammy," Stacy came to the head of the bed and smiled at him. "We missed you."

"I missed you too, Frog." He reached out his hand to hold his sister's fingers. "Hey Bug," Sam said to his younger brother who was squirming beside her.

"Hey Sammy. You okay? Kurt said you were gonna be okay." Stevie reasoned.

"Well, I _am_ always right, so that means you will be," Kurt smiled at him and shrugged.

"Kurt is always right Sammy," Stacy piped up and nodded her head seriously.

"See these two," Kurt smirked as he pointed back and forth between the younger Evans children. "These two I'm keeping."

"You aren't keeping me?" Sam broke out the Trouty pout. It worked every time.

"Oh, geez. With the pout. Of course I'm keeping you." Kurt sighed.

"Good. Cause apparently that's literal. I'm staying with you guys when I get released."

Kurt's eyebrow rose with interest, and Sam saw a glint of promise in his eyes. He smirked again, and Sam just knew what he was thinking about. It was the same thought Sam had when he found out. The thought of getting to do something that would so get them both in trouble with all the parents involved.

"Don't think I didn't see that Kurt," Mary Evans smirked at him.

"What? I didn't do anything!" Kurt laughed and ruffled Stevie's hair.

"You were thinking it," Mary argued back.

"Was not," Kurt blushed and turned away from Sam's mother.

"Busted," Sam grinned at him.

"You hush."

"What did you do today?" Sam asked, sure that Kurt had been up to something at school.

"I'll tell you later," Kurt replied and nodded his head towards Stevie and Stacy.

"Okay," Sam settled into the pillows behind him and groaned a little when the aches started up again. Kurt leaned over to adjust them for him.

"Do you need anything?" Kurt asked quietly.

"You," Sam whispered low, so that only Kurt could hear him.

"Stop that," Kurt whispered from the side of his mouth, his eyes trained on Sam's mother.

"You scared?" Sam smirked at him.

"You wish," Kurt replied. "We did not just quote from Harry Potter." Kurt shook his head in resignation.

"You know you're a closet dork, just like me," Sam mocked him.

"Sweetie, I'm the closet dork. You are the out and proud dork."

Mary Evans snorted from her chair, and Sam turned to find her grinning at both of them.

One of the doctors treating Sam came in to give him an update. The ultrasound had gone well, but they would not release him until Saturday. This was fucking annoying. He needed to be up and moving around, so the soreness wouldn't set in too bad. All this laying around was just going to make it harder on him to be active when they released him.

Sam listened as he watched his brother and sister play in the floor on the other side of the room. He'd missed those two so much. He hoped he'd feel in good enough shape to hang out and play with them before they left to go back to Kentucky. Frog, who had gained her nickname due to her love of jumping, and Bug, who gained his by literally bugging Sam to death most of the time, were special to him. He felt sometimes like he was just as involved with raising them as his parents were.

At least, he had been, until he'd come back to Lima. It had been a decision he still would never regret. He knew that he deserved a chance to be a teenager, but it didn't mean that he loved his siblings any less that he'd wanted to do that in Lima instead of Kentucky. Kurt meant that much to him.

Sam shifted in the bed, and he moaned in pain.

"Sam, be careful," Kurt warned.

"I am."

Mary got up from the chair and gestured for Kurt to take it. "I'm going to take these two downstairs and raid the cafeteria. You two talk." Then she shuffled Stevie and Stacy out of the room.

"Kurt, what did you do today?"

"Nothing big. And it's nothing you need to worry about. I heard that those four assholes got arrested."

"Yeah, the police were pretty good about it. But Shane will get off. Even though he pretty much arranged it, he wasn't involved in actually doing it."

"Well, I'll handle Shane," Kurt's eyes darkened in fury.

"No, you won't. You stay out of it," Sam replied. "You have enough stuff going on right now. And Shane could hurt you." _Would hurt him_. And Sam wouldn't be able to do a fucking thing about it. He felt so damn helpless in this bed.

All he could think when it was happening was Kurt. And when Santana had told him they couldn't get a hold of Kurt, Sam's heart had plummeted. He had been sure that someone had gotten to him. He could not go through that again. That feeling had been worse than the beating.

"I know about Finn," Kurt interrupted his thoughts. "I know why you didn't tell me."

"Shit," Sam leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out about that."

"Well, I did. Puck was angrier than I've ever seen him. Hell, I think I was angrier than I've ever been at him, and I've been plenty angry at that asshole before."

"Does Burt know?"

"Yes, Puck told him last night. Carole doesn't know yet. Dad doesn't quite know how to tell her."

How do you tell her that her son stood by and let one of his supposed friends get nearly beaten to death?

Where was the explanation?

The reason that would make that okay?

Sam couldn't find that. And he couldn't imagine that Kurt could either. Not after everything Finn had put him through.

"Did you talk to Finn yet?"

"No. He didn't come home last night."


	22. Chapter 22

Kurt's Morning:

Kurt woke up just as angry as he'd been when he'd tried to fall asleep the night before. He and his father had stayed up waiting for Finn to get home. Carole was working the night shift, so they wanted to discuss Finn's behavior without her present if possible. Kurt had watched his dad pace back and forth in the living room. Burt had been muttering about Finn having crossed another line, and he'd vented that this had been so much worse than Finn just standing by when Karofsky had threatened Kurt.

When it was clear, by three am, that Finn wasn't coming home at all, Kurt gave in and attempted to sleep. But his anger was still so fresh that he'd tossed and turned all night.

This was one of the mornings that he didn't bother with his morning routine. Nothing would get the tiredness out of his eyes, and they were bloodshot from no sleep. He just washed his face and got dressed for school. He'd come back and freshen up before taking Stevie and Stacy with him over to the hospital. His dad was taking them with him over to the tire shop while Mary was with Sam.

Kurt stared at himself in the mirror and thought about what he and Karen had talked about the day before. His desire to help Finn. His desire to no longer be so angry at his step-brother that it ruined his own happiness.

But after this, how was that even possible?

He had thought he was angry at Finn over his emotional abuse. He had thought he was angry at Finn over his manipulation of Rachel. But those incidents paled in comparison to this. This was rage. He wanted to hurt Finn the way Sam had been hurt.

Hurting Kurt was one thing. He was used to it. Everybody tried hurting him at some point in his life, and he'd used it to become stronger. Better than them.

But this was Sam. His Sam. They'd nearly killed _his Sam_.

All because a group of homophobic idiots were angry that Sam had embarrassed Mercedes.

He knew logically that Shane wouldn't be charged. He hadn't actually participated. But the words Clancy had told Sam were telling. Shane had planned it. And somehow, Kurt was going to make him pay for what he'd done.

Kurt dressed quickly, but he didn't take as much time planning his wardrobe. He was too tired. He put on some baggy jeans and a plain black tee shirt. He grabbed his least favorite boots and pulled them on. He'd worry about his appearance later, when he was going to see Sam.

He grabbed Sam's leather jacket, stolen after one of their dates, and headed out the door. He seemed to have kleptomania when it came to Sam's clothing.

Kurt texted Santana about meeting him at the school before homeroom. She texted back that she and Britt would be there early.

He hoped dressing like this put some people on guard. They were always suspicious of Kurt when he wasn't his usually put-together self. He dressed this way whenever he was depressed. And he'd rather they think he was depressed than for them to know that he was in a rage.

He had a hunch that Finn had been at Rachel's. But what he would like to know is whether or not Hiram and Leroy knew about it, and did they know what Finn had done? He liked Rachel's dads, and he knew they'd never allow someone who'd participated in a hate crime into their home. And as far as Kurt was concerned, this was very much a hate crime.

But Finn and Rachel? Would they hide what Finn had done from her fathers? Definitely. He knew without a doubt that Finn would, and Rachel had long since stopped hiding the fact that she'd defend Finn against anything he'd done. Despite the fact that she had two gay fathers. The girl was unreal. She'd throw away everything she'd ever been taught about tolerance for the love of the least tolerant person Kurt had ever known.

Kurt pulled into a parking spot and headed to the front of the school. Santana and Britt were waiting for him there. Santana took one look at his outfit, and her eyebrows rose.

"So it's like that?" She asked as he approached. "Intimidation it is."

Kurt nodded at her and hugged Brittany, "Hey boo. How are you?"

"I'm good. How's my favorite bicurious unicorn? Is he feeling better?"

"Some. You can go see him after school if you want," he rubbed her arm as he talked, and she nodded.

"So where to first?"

"I have a question for you two. What's your take on Mercedes? Is she still as close to you two as she was when you were Troubletones?"

"Not really. She got on her high horse about her God Squad group. She and the new guy were uncomfortable with homosexuality issues. At least that's what Quinn said. I'm glad I talked Trouty into quitting that little club. He was only in it because she was. You know. Back when he first came back." Santana shrugged.

"I heard about that issue. I wasn't happy about that either. We had a discussion back when my dad was sick about homosexuality and her ideas of religion. It didn't go well. She says she's tolerant. But then she does things that don't look like it. I don't know. And I'm at the point where I don't care anymore. But I wanted to know how it would affect your relationship with her."

"Unicorn, we're boos. I'm always sticking with you. And Santana," Britt replied happily.

"Okay, she's second on my list. First is Coach," Kurt replied.

"Oooh. I like where this is going already," Santana purred with content. "What level we looking at here?"

"At least Level 8. Shane will not come out of this with less than his entire future ruined," Kurt answered with determination.

"Love it. Love it. Let's go."

The three of them entered the school as a team, and the stares followed them all the way down the hall. Being with Santana and Brittany always brought stares, but his clothing choices only added to the students concerns.

Santana herself was the embodiment of evil as far as they were concerned. Kurt was only slightly less intimidating when he was angry, but that was because his revenge didn't happen right away. It was a slow-building event that would knock an enemy's world off its axis. Santana just went for the jugular immediately and left the person's body there for someone else to clean up.

Pissing off Santana made a person need to skip school for a week or two. Long enough for Brittany to work her magic on her to calm her down.

Pissing off Kurt made a person need to transfer.

Doing something to someone either of them loved was asking for an untimely death.

The only thing that would result in being the receiver of Kurt's rage was hurting someone he loved. And he loved Sam. The only person more protected by Santana than Sam at this school was Brittany. And Brittany was next in line on Kurt's list of adored people. So it made perfect sense that Santana would side with Kurt on this. As crazy as she made him sometimes, they were in tune with each other.

Coach Sylvester looked as if she'd been expecting them all morning. She nodded slightly when they entered her office, and she gestured for Brittany to close the door. Kurt exchanged a glance at Santana, and they silently agreed to get Britt out of there.

"Baby, we need to talk to Coach alone. You can go on to class," Santana smiled.

"Okay, San. I'll see you later." She kissed Santana on the cheek and popped out of the room.

Brittany was the sweetest person on the planet, but she could not keep a secret to save her life. It was better if she didn't know what was going on because she'd spill it by third period.

"Porcelain, Sandbags," Coach nodded to both of them. "How's young Justin Taylor doing?"

"He's okay. But they hurt him bad. For a very stupid reason. And the ringleader of it won't be charged because he didn't participate. He just _encouraged_, according to Clancy."

"Clancy and who else?" Coach sat back in her chair and gestured for both of them to sit.

Kurt and Santana dropped onto the seats in front of her desk.

"Griggs, Peterson and McKenzie."

"Ringleader?" Coach steepled her hands in front of her.

"Shane Tinsley."

"Got it. What else do you need from me?"

This was something he loved about Sue Sylvester. When you were one of hers, current or former Cheerio, she had your back when it was important. She might torture people while they were Cheerios, but she was there when it was important. And she'd been the only teacher at McKinley to back him up when Karofsky got out of hand.

"Would it be too much to request a Level 8?"

Kurt knew better than to demand it from her. She had levels of destruction she'd formulated when people crossed her. She used them for others when the time was right. She'd used a Level 3 to get Karofsky expelled from school in the previous year. That had involved humiliation and bribery of members of the school board. And Kurt hadn't even asked her for it. She'd done that all on her own. Of course, it sometimes backfired, like when he'd been reinstated. But she had tried.

The Cheerios were constantly at Level 1 of her destruction plan. It was a plan designed to build character, she said. He had to give her credit for it. She'd had a big impact on both his and Santana's current personalities. If either of them were to actually tutor under Sue, they'd be unstoppable.

Mr. Schuester perched perilously on Level 2 at all times. His only involved humiliation. She never truly wanted to get him removed from the school. She'd have too much time on her hands if Schue wasn't there. Who would she humiliate daily if he were gone?

Level 8 involved destroying as much as Sue could get her hands on. Sue was much more powerful when her anger was calmed. As much as she loved shouting that she was always lactating with rage, she was much more effective when she was calculated and passionless.

"Not for you Porcelain. Level 8 it is. Unless I can't find anything. Then we'll have to make do with a 6."

Kurt nodded. "Fair enough. Anything I can do to help?"

"I'll keep you updated. I need to make some phone calls." Sue gestured for them to leave, and they left wordlessly.

"Level 8. You have balls, Kurt," Santana grinned.

Kurt just grinned back.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

While Santana ducked into the bathroom, he leaned against the wall, waiting for her.

He texted Mercedes to meet them in the choir room, and then he and Santana headed there. They were both skipping every morning class, but he'd never promised anybody that he'd go to classes today. He'd only promised to at least go to school. And honestly, Figgins didn't give a shit if they were in class or not.

They arrived before Mercedes, who came in, books held tightly against her chest, smiling hesitantly at him.

Santana hissed out a curse at that smile. Kurt shot her a warning look and waited for Mercedes to speak. Santana looked like she needed to be held back already, and they didn't even have any word from Mercedes that she knew anything about it.

Kurt stalked over to Mercedes and looked down at her.

"Did you know about it ahead of time?" He figured getting straight to the point was his best option right now.

"How is he doing?"

"Um. I really don't think you get the right to ask about his welfare right now," Santana answered quickly. "You've known for how long and you're just now bothering to ask if he's okay?"

"I figured it would be better if I stayed out of it," Mercedes's face fell.

"Why? Why would you even need to stay out of it? I mean, if Shane had _nothing_ to do with it, why would you even need to stay out of it?" Kurt's voice rose to a slightly higher pitch.

"Shane..." Mercedes began.

"Shane what?" Kurt interrupted. "Shane what Mercedes? Did he tell you that Clancy admitted to Sam that it was Shane's idea to have him beaten up? Did you know that Clancy mocked Sam the entire time about the reason they were beating him up? Did you know that Clancy made sure that Sam understood that he was being punished for humiliating you?"

"What?" To her credit, she did seem shocked at that.

"I said, they made sure to tell Sam that he was being beaten half to death as punishment for humiliating you by giving up on you to be with me."

"I never said that." Mercedes looked guilty though.

"What did you say?" Kurt replied.

"I told Shane once that it was kind of embarrassing that Sam told the whole school he wanted me but then ended up choosing you. That's all I said."

"So it's embarrassing for you to see me with the man I love, who loves me, simply because he was no longer flattering you with attention?"

"That's not what I meant, Kurt," Mercedes gasped.

"Then what did you mean? Exactly how could you have worded it that wouldn't make it an insult to Sam's relationship with me? You didn't even want him!" Kurt had lost control of the anger bubbling under his skin.

"Kurt," Mercedes whispered.

"Tell me. Did you know about it before hand? That's what I need to know. I need to know if you willingly pushed all compassion aside and said nothing while your boyfriend plotted to have mine beaten almost to death. I need to know whether you care so little about me and about Sam that you would just stand to the side and let this happen without telling anyone. Without warning Sam. I need to know that you didn't know about this, Mercedes. Because if you can't tell me honestly that you didn't know that this was happening, then I'm done with you."

Kurt had managed to control his voice again, hoping that he was injecting just the right about of venom to get his point across.

"I knew they were going to do something, but I thought that Shane was just going to confront Sam. I didn't have a clue that the other guys were going to do that to him. I swear. I didn't know until I got Santana's message."

"Then afterwards. What did you say to him? Did you even get angry with him? Did you even care?"

"Yes, I cared! I asked him what happened. He said that he'd taken care of my _problem_ with Sam. That's all. I didn't know what he meant until Sam was already hurt, I swear."

"It wasn't a little problem, Mercedes. Sam is a person, not a problem. He is the one person I can say I'd do anything for. He's not a fucking problem. Especially for you! Are you that self-centered that you would even care that he'd stopped paying attention to you when you didn't even want him in the first place? Where is your Christian compassion about him, Mercedes?"

"Kurt," Mercedes glared. He'd obviously struck a nerve.

"No. I'm done. Satan, who's up next?" Kurt stalked towards the door.

"Um. We have the options of Hudson or Tinsley," she followed with delight.

"Tinsley. But I have no idea what class he has right now."

"I do. His class is on the second floor. I'll go drag him out."

They walked quietly up the stairs, and Kurt found the nearest empty classroom. Kurt tried to imagine Santana actually dragging the very large Shane out of the classroom. Despite his anger, he could see the humor in the visual. He didn't know what excuse she'd given his teacher, and he didn't really care.

Shane walked into the room behind Santana, and he smirked when he saw Kurt.

Santana stood next to the door and glared at the football player.

"Why?" Kurt asked simply.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Shane stood defiantly.

"Why?" He repeated calmly. Uncontrolled anger wasn't going to get any answers from him.

"Why what, Hummel?"

"Don't pretend to be clueless. I just want to know why. It couldn't have been over something as ridiculous as misplaced honor about your girlfriend. And if it was, then you seriously need help. And so does she."

"You shut up about her," Shane threatened.

But Kurt was long past being scared of him, and it didn't matter than he outweighed Kurt by at least a hundred pounds.

"What did Sam do that was so wrong that he deserved being almost beaten to death? Can you really look me in the eye and give me a valid reason for that?"

Shane's composure faulted a little. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You should. Clancy does." Santana offered, dismissively staring at her fingernails.

Shane's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you think I'm talking about?" Santana shot back.

"What she's talking about is that Clancy fessed up." Kurt lied smoothly. "I think you're on the list for the police to talk to by now. You should have been on that list from the beginning."

"Clancy is full of shit."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"I'm done here," Shane started to leave the room.

"You owe me an answer," Kurt's voice betrayed the pain he'd been trying to hide. "They could have killed him, Shane. _Killed him_. Do you not _get_ that? How is trying to kill someone an appropriate punishment for humiliation?"

Kurt followed him to the door. He couldn't physically stop Shane from leaving, but he would do what he could to frustrate him into at least answering.

"Look, Hummel. I just wanted Evans roughed up some. That's all." Shane sounded tired. Defeated.

"And yet you chose some of the most homophobic students at this school to slip that little nugget of information to? How is that okay? How the fucking hell could you even live with yourself for that?"

"I did it for Cedes. He embarrassed her."

"That's a lame excuse. You didn't send them after Sam when he was chasing after Mercedes. Wasn't that embarrassing for you both? Having him so publicly come after your girlfriend? So what's so wrong with him now? Is it just because he's with me now? I don't give a damn whether you hate gays or not. What I give a damn about is that you almost got my boyfriend killed. We did nothing to you. Sam being with me did nothing to _YOU_!"

"Okay, maybe I _don't_ like seeing you two all over each other in the halls."

"And maybe we don't like seeing heterosexual couples all over each other in the halls either. We don't send football players after them to beat them senseless."

"And just maybe the lesbians would like to kiss their girlfriends without Figgins hauling us into the office to complain about our displays of affection," Santana drawled.

"What?" Kurt looked at her. "He did what?"

"Later," Santana dismissed him with a wave.

"So is it just homophobia or was it really to defend Mercedes's honor? Which was it?"

"I told you. I just wanted him roughed up because he hurt her feelings."

"That is so fucked up. You wanted him to leave her alone. So he did. And then you punished him for leaving her alone? If you only wanted to rough him up, why didn't you do it yourself?" Kurt challenged.

"Because I'm not stupid. I knew they'd get busted for it. But I didn't know they'd go that far." Shame replied defiantly.

"So what did you actually say to Clancy?"

"I just told him that Sam needed to be taught a lesson. That's all."

"What kind of lesson?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that you wanted him hurt. Because why else would you go to Clancy, a very vocal homophobe, to put your little plan into action?"

"I didn't know Clancy was like that." Shane avoided his gaze when he answered.

"Liar." Everybody at the school knew how Clancy felt about homosexuals.

"Alright, God Hummel! I wanted him humiliated and fucked up! Are you fucking happy now?" Shane shouted. "I wanted him to pay for disrespecting me by disrespecting my girl!"

"Thank you. That's all I needed to know." Kurt gestured to the door. "Feel free to leave now."

Shane threw a chair on his way out of the room.

Santana sighed, a happy sigh that could be described as contentment, if one didn't know that it was a sign of her inherent evil.

"I'm surprised you didn't join in more," Kurt smiled.

"You had that. I was just there for underboob support." Santana lifted up her blouse and pulled off the recorder taped under her breasts.

She popped out the tiny cassette and tossed it to him. "Where was yours?"

"Although your suggestion of hiding it near my junk was brilliant, I chose a less invasive method." Kurt pulled his recorder out of the pocket of Sam's leather jacket. He stopped the recorder and tossed it in his hands.

"Nice," Santana purred.

"Although, these pants would have accommodated the recorder more easily than my skinny jeans," Kurt smirked at her. "If I were to go in for that whole invasive things near my junk method," he winked.

Santana snorted. "Yeah, like you don't like Sam's invasive thing near your junk."

Kurt smirked and winked at her. "Let's go. Besides, the correct word is love, not like."

They were in Coach Sylvester's office a few minutes later.

"I placed my calls. Do you have what I need?"

Kurt tossed the cassette to her, and she caught it deftly.

Sue's smile would be frightening if he didn't know that, at this moment, she was completely on Sam's side.


	23. Chapter 23

"Wow. Baby, remind me to never piss you off like that in the future," Sam marveled as he finished listening to the recording Kurt had brought with him.

His mother had already taken his brother and sister out of the room, so Kurt had taken the opportunity to let Sam listen to it while she was out. Kurt said he didn't mind if she listened, but he thought it might be hard on her to hear what Shane had said.

It was the right decision.

Kurt smiled down at him, "I have other ways of making you pay if you piss me off."

"I don't want to find those out either," Sam smiled back at him. "So what are you going to do with that?"

"Well, Santana made me a copy of her recording. Coach Sylvester has one for the other part of my plan. But where this one goes is up to you."

Sam tilted his head, "Why?"

"How far do you want to take this?" Kurt sat on the edge of the chair next to the bed. "There is no hate crime legislation that covers this. But we can make as big a scene as you're comfortable with. But it's up to you. Well, really, it's up to you and Mary, but I'm asking _you._ I'm not about to go public with any of this if it will make you uncomfortable. It would be outing you in a major way, and that could bring us more trouble later on. Being out at school is one thing. Being out to the entire town brings a whole new set of problems."

Kurt Hummel was the most amazing person he'd ever met. He was willing to go to bat to defend Sam and destroy the people who hurt him, but he would temper all of that justified anger if it would go further to protect Sam. How had he not realized all this before? How had he ever let him go the first time?

"Come here," Sam whispered.

Kurt leaned over so that he could kiss Sam, accommodating the IV pole and the length of bed separating them. "What?"

"You're amazing. I love you. That's all." Sam whispered against his mouth as he kissed him back.

"I love you too. But if you want to know what I _want_ to do, I'll tell you." Kurt sat back down after they finished kissing.

"What?"

"Well, I'm going for total destruction using Sue and Santana as my back-up."

"Well, you wouldn't really need anyone else if you have those two behind you," Sam joked.

"I know. But I'm not going to do anything that makes your life harder either. You have enough to deal with. I couldn't live with myself if doing this brought more pain into your life," Kurt replied and stroked Sam's face softly.

"The police need to know that he was involved. Even if they don't have enough proof to charge him. Investigating him could send a message that he needs to learn. At least the others were charged with assault. We'll handle anything else that comes our way," Sam held his hand as he talked.

"I like the way you say that. Our way. Like it's us against everybody."

"Isn't it?"

"It feels that way sometimes. We have another problem developing once we fix this one."

"What's that?"

"Figgins hauled Santana and Britt into his office and said that someone had filed a complaint about their public displays of affection. As far as I know, you and I weren't mentioned in the complaint, and we've kissed in the halls."

"Do they know who complained?"

"I don't think so. She didn't have time to tell me very many details."

"Finn maybe?"

"That was my first thought, but then I realized that he'd most likely complain about us first. But it did occur to me that it's exactly like something that Mr. Schuester would complain about."

"Shit, you're right. He would."

Even Sam knew that Mr. Schuester had always frowned on Kurt and Blaine touching each other during class. He'd give them strange looks and clear his throat at them whenever they'd even move close to each other. He'd always done the same thing whenever Brittany and Santana acted affectionate with each other. But if Rachel and Finn wanted to kiss in class, they could be all over each other.

When Quinn had dated Sam, she'd been allowed to drape herself all over Sam, and not a word was said. And when Santana had dated Sam, the same applied. She could have grabbed his ass in class, and Mr. Schuester wouldn't have said a word. When they'd dated, Brittany had been allowed to sit on Artie's lap and squirm all over him, and nothing was ever said. Tina and Mike could do the same.

Any heterosexual couple probably could have gotten away with jumping each other in Glee when Mr. Schuester had run the class.

The best Britt and Santana could get away with was holding hands when Mr. Schuester was there. She and the girls could do a sexy rendition of I Kissed a Girl, and that was fine. But if Santana even thought about kissing Britt in class, there would be disapproval dripping from Mr. Shuester's interfering face.

It was exactly like something he'd do. Especially since Kurt had been instrumental in getting Glee Club taken away from him.

He was still a teacher after all. Even if he didn't sponsor Glee anymore.

And Santana had mouthed off to him over the spat he'd had with Mr. Martinez over the Spanish teacher's position.

So Mr. Schuester had something against both Santana and Kurt right now. So hitting them like this would only affect Santana's and Kurt's relationships. All the heterosexual couples would be out of the line of fire.

Subtle. But Kurt knew subtle. And Kurt owned subtle. And if given the opportunity, Kurt would own Schuester's ass after this.

Eww. Not a good visual to have.

"What's with the face?" Kurt asked, looking at him with confusion.

"Just a bad visual I gave myself. You don't want to know." Sam smiled at him.

"Do you want your mom to hear this before I turn it over to the investigator assigned to your case?" He held up the cassette before placing it on the table beside the bed.

"No. She doesn't need to hear that. It'll just make her worry more when she goes home."

"That's how I felt too, but I wanted to leave it up to you."

"Thank you."

"No thanks necessary, but you're welcome," Kurt smiled.

"Will you lay here with me?" Sam shifted slightly to give Kurt some space on the bed.

"What about your ribs?" Kurt replied, climbing up next to him. "And won't we get in trouble?"

"I don't care."

Kurt curled around him, careful to avoid putting any weight on Sam's midsection. He hooked one leg over Sam's and hugged his arm closely. He dipped and kissed the top of Sam's shoulder as he relaxed next to him.

"I was so scared," Kurt whispered. "When Santana called me. I just fell apart."

Sam turned his head to look at Kurt. "I'm fine baby."

"I know that now," Kurt laughed, eyes watery and yet still so gorgeous to Sam. "But I couldn't help it. I just kept thinking that you weren't going to be okay, and I wasn't there with you." Kurt was almost sobbing onto his shoulder.

"Shh. It's okay, baby. I'm okay."

Kurt's tears were killing him. He dragged the arm holding him up and brushed Kurt's hand up to his lips. He wished he could just hold Kurt. But his ribs weren't in any shape to do it, and it was also kind of nice to have Kurt curled up next to him again.

Sam tilted his head so that it touched Kurt's forehead, and Kurt's crying began to decrease. Then his breathing became more regular. Sam couldn't see his face, but he could tell that Kurt had fallen asleep. He probably needed it. His eyes had looked so tired when he had arrived at the hospital.

Sam sighed, and he closed his eyes, too. He loved it when Kurt fell asleep next to him. It made him feel stronger somehow. Like he could do anything simply because Kurt trusted him.

Sam heard the door open slowly, and he watched some of the members of New Directions file into the room. His eyes narrowed when he saw Rachel near the back of the small crowd gathering at the foot of his bed. He knew he couldn't actually blame her for Finn's behavior, but a very loud voice in his head was telling him to kick her out of the room.

If Kurt was awake, he would probably say it.

"Hey Trouty," Santana whispered. "I see he finally gave in and slept. He said he didn't sleep all night."

"I figured." Sam whispered back. "Thanks for helping him today."

She nodded an acknowledgment.

"Hey Sam," Tina came forward and spoke softly to him. "How are you feeling?"

Mike came forward and fist bumped the hand that wasn't currently being held hostage by Kurt.

"Okay," he nodded at Mike as he answered her.

Artie rolled up beside him and smiled. "You had us worried, man."

"Sorry about that," Sam smiled.

Puck and Blaine came forward and greeted him wordlessly. Sam could feel his eyes tearing up, and he nodded at Puck. Puck fist bumped him and nodded back without speaking. Sam saw Blaine's eyes begin to glisten with tears. He'd been through this. Kurt had told Sam about it. Out of everybody in the room, Blaine knew exactly how Sam felt at the moment.

"I'm okay. Thank you." He looked back and forth between Blaine and Puck.

Really? What do you say to two people who saved your life? _Thank you_ just didn't cut it.

"No problem dude," Puck answered.

And that was it. Kurt would be ashamed of their lack of drama, he thought with a smile.

Puck looked to Sam and then back towards Blaine. Sam could tell he wanted to get Blaine out of the room before the other boy got too upset. Sam nodded at him, and then Puck led Blaine out.

Quinn came forward and she leaned to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Finn?" he whispered while she was still close enough to hear him.

"I don't know for sure," Quinn whispered. "She won't say."

"Okay. Thanks."

Sam sought out Rachel in the back and met her eyes. She flushed but came forward and grasped his hand. "Hey Sam."

"Rachel," he said lowly, hoping that all the visitors wouldn't wake Kurt.

"I don't know what to say, Sam."

"I could use an answer right now."

"I don't have one." Rachel looked away and towards the window.

"Does he?"

"I'm not sure, Sam." Her voice wavered, and Quinn stepped forward to place a hand on Rachel's arm.

"You need to be sure, Rachel. Not for me. But for you."

"I know," Rachel's voice cracked, and she squeezed his hand once more before she ran out of the room.

Quinn looked at him sadly, and she gestured that she was going to follow Rachel. Sam nodded in understanding, and he watched her leave.

Tina, Mike and Artie hung around for a little bit longer and filled him in on things that had happened at school. And they left when the conversation had died off. Tina brushed her hand over Kurt's brow, and she smiled down at him. She winked at Sam before she took Mike's hand and walked out the door.

Santana had curled up into the corner of the window sill of his hospital room. She was texting, probably to Britt, and looking back and forth between her phone and the window.

He wanted to ask her where Britt was, but he didn't think she'd hear him whispering, and he didn't want to talk loud enough to wake Kurt. He was surprised that he'd slept through all the noise from the Glee Club, but he had looked exhausted, so maybe it was just that.

Santana looked upset, and he hoped it wasn't about him. She was probably still angry with Figgins and trying to figure out what to do about it. He couldn't wait to tell her Kurt's theory and how he wanted to go after Figgins after all this stuff with Shane was over.

"Hey," Sam whispered, and Santana turned to look at him.

"Sup, Trouty?"

"You okay?"

She nodded at him and smiled. "I'm fine," she mouthed. She hopped down off the windowsill and came over to Sam. "Did you two decide what to do with that recording?"

"Yes, it's going to the police."

"I can take it for you. Where is it?"

Sam used his good hand to gesture toward the table Kurt had placed the cassette. She grabbed it, and bent to kiss his cheek. "Tell him when he wakes up, okay?"

Sam nodded, and she left the room.

He turned slightly to watch Kurt sleep. The angle of his head was uncomfortable, but it was worth it. Kurt was so fucking beautiful all the time, but when he slept, he was unreal. Angelic. Sam settled his head back on the pillow and little more comfortably, and he decided to go back to sleep. There might not be another chance to sleep next to Kurt for a while.

Not if Burt had anything to say about it, he smiled to himself.


	24. Chapter 24

**Warning: If you don't wish to read about Sam's sexual frustration and Kurt's attempts to relieve it while adhering to stupid household rules, then back up and read the previous chapter again and wait for the next one to be posted. LOL**

**If you are fine with the above, then carry on.**

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Are you comfortable?" Kurt plumped the pillows and adjusted them behind Sam. "Do you need to move around, or get up or anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Sam smiled up at him.

He was much better than fine. And he'd be fabulous if he could get his hands on Kurt.

Kurt had been mothering him since he'd gotten home from the hospital. Between Kurt and his own mother, Sam was under a warm blanket of worry and concern. And he loved every moment of it. When his mother was here, she was hovering over him all the time. And as much as he loved his mother, he'd much rather have Kurt's hands be the ones tending to him.

But she and Burt were dealing with the police, and the school, and the investigation, so she sometimes had to be out. When she was out, his favorite nurse got to be with him. In fact, Sam knew for a fact that all parents involved were out at the moment.

Puck and Blaine had even come over and taken Stevie and Stacy out for the day.

And he didn't give a shit where Finn was. He'd come back the night before, but nobody had had the energy for a fight about it.

All he cared about right at this moment was getting his hands on Kurt, or Kurt's hands on him. Or both.

"You sure?" Kurt smiled down at him. "Anything I can do?"

"You can kiss me," Sam suggested, affecting what he hoped was an irresistible look on his face.

"You," Kurt leaned over and kissed him chastely, and then he stood back up.

"That was so not what I had in mind," Sam said, disappointed. "I was hoping for tongue."

Sam's arm shot out, and he tried to capture Kurt's leg, but the boy sidestepped him quickly. Dammit. And Sam's ribs hurt too badly to chase after him and drag him back on to the bed. And even if his ribs didn't hurt as bad, Kurt would kill him for straining them if he did manage to get him into bed.

Sam's head dropped back onto the pillow and he moaned his frustration.

Kurt snorted. "You know good and well I had to promise my father, in front of Carole and Mary of all people, that I would keep my hands off you."

"Hands are not tongue," Sam grinned. "Hands are also not your mouth."

"I'm pretty sure my father and your mother subliminally included all of my body parts in that blanket ban to protect your virtue."

"They don't know exactly how bad my virtue has already been compromised."

"If I remember correctly, last year, in that motel room, you were doing the compromising. My virtue was lost first, remember?" Kurt lowered his voice into the pitch that just _did_ things to Sam. Very good things.

"See, so their rules are stupid," Sam whined.

Kurt laughed at him, but his laugh was lower and huskier. Either Kurt was trying to kill him or Sam was already so fucking turned on that anything Kurt said and any sound he made would be incredibly sexy.

"Sam, I'm not allowed to touch, remember. I've been reminded that you aren't eighteen yet. Many times, I might add. And I promised I'd wait. And I sure as hell didn't tell them we'd already had sex. Dad thinks I've been _good_." Kurt watched Sam's face as he talked.

That fucking mouth. Kurt was talking to him with that fucking gorgeous mouth. He didn't really care what Kurt was actually saying, because of that fucking mouth.

Sam followed Kurt's mouth with his eyes. If he looked desperate enough, maybe his boyfriend would take pity on him. "Please?" Sam begged, purposely dropping his voice lower.

"Sam," Kurt warned on a groan.

"Baby, please?" Sam whispered. "Show me how _good_ you are."

"Samuel Evans." Kurt propped his hand on his hip and stared down at him.

Sam watched as his boyfriend walked over to the bedroom door, shut and locked it. This was promising. Kurt turned back to him and crawled onto the bed at the foot.

And then he smirked. That fucking smirk on that fucking mouth. God dammit, Sam thought.

Either Sam was going to get very, very rewarded, or Kurt was going to tease him until he died. Not that he minded either one, but Kurt could get very evil, very quickly. And it was hot.

"Kurt, baby," Sam moaned.

Kurt crawled over him, careful to not allow his hands to touch Sam on any part of his body. "I'm not allowed to _touch_, remember?"

His boyfriend was hovering over him, teasing him with his nearness, making him ache with want.

"Dammit, Kurt. You're killing me."

"How do you think I feel? I never promised them that I wouldn't let _you_ touch _me_. So you can put your hands _anywhere_, but you don't have the _strength_ to do it," Kurt sighed, feigning dramatics.

Kurt smirked down at him.

"Poor _me_. A sexy boyfriend, almost half-naked, in my house and nobody else is home. _But he's injured_. And I'm not allowed to take advantage of that by molesting him because I'm not allowed to _touch_."

Kurt continued to hover, his mouth so fucking close to Sam's. But just far enough away that, even stretched as far as his neck could manage, Sam couldn't quite kiss him.

Sam's hands wandered all over Kurt. He stroked his arms and every part of his torso that he could reach. He muttered to himself when the pain kept him from reaching farther to cup his beautiful ass.

"Fuck," Sam closed his eyes. "You're going to kill me."

"That's not my intention, believe me." Kurt whispered.

"How do you have this much self-control? The only thing keeping me from flipping you over on to your back is the fact that every time I move, I fucking hurt like hell."

"Ummmm. I like the sound of that. I can just see you doing it. Grabbing me and flipping me over. And then you'd push me down into the mattress and… Just. Fuck. Me." Kurt closed his eyes at the visual, and Sam groaned. "I can see it right now."

"Fuck, Kurt," Sam grabbed his wrist and held it firmly. "Touch me."

"I can't," Kurt whispered teasingly. "But you had a good point earlier."

"What point? I'm so fucking hard right now I can't even remember what I said earlier."

"You said my hands weren't my mouth and my tongue." Kurt licked his bottom lip and stared into Sam's eyes.

Oh, God. Sam moaned and squirmed under Kurt. "God, please. Just please."

"I can't pull your shorts and boxers down, though. I'm not allowed to _touch_." Kurt reminded.

Sam struggled to push down the offending clothing as quickly as he could. His ribs protested, but he was beyond caring. He'd take some more pain medication later, but he was getting Kurt's mouth on him right fucking now, and that's all he cared about.

"Well, now. That's more like it," Kurt breathed against Sam's hips, his breath teasing Sam's skin.

Sam watched as Kurt leaned down, bracing his body weight on his hands so that the only part touching Sam was his beautiful fucking mouth.

Sam's eyes closed involuntarily when Kurt's tongue explored the length of his cock, swirling it over the slit as he pulled back and looked at Sam.

"Put your hand there. Hold yourself still for me, since I can't." Kurt whispered.

Sam obliged, putting his hand at the base and pushing his cock back so that it stood straight up for Kurt's easier access.

"Yum," Kurt murmured. "So perfect." And then he took Sam's cock into his mouth, sucking deeply, his lips brushing against Sam's fingers slightly.

"God, Kurt." Sam came up off the bed, and his ribs protested again. "Shit."

"Lie still, Evans. You're going to hurt yourself," Kurt admonished as he pulled Sam out of his mouth.

"God, you're killing me."

"Shh." Kurt's mouth lowered as he whispered the warning.

And then Sam's mind went blank as Kurt worked his mouth up and down over Sam's cock. He was sucking, and pulling, and using that fucking tongue on him relentlessly. Just what Sam wanted.

"Nnngh," Sam finally managed. And he felt Kurt smile around his cock.

Kurt's tongue brushed against his balls, and he teased his hole slightly before going back to sucking his cock. "I love this," Kurt breathed against the length of it.

"Nnngh." Sam muttered again.

"Your favorite word," Kurt whispered.

And then he went back to sucking, that mouth firm on him, just the perfect amount of teasing and pressure, and Sam was going to lose it. Sam applied pressure to the base of his cock and watched Kurt work his mouth up and down on it, slowly, methodically, taking him completely into his mouth with every downward motion. Kurt sucked down, and the pulled back to lick, over and over, until Sam felt every muscle in his body tighten in response.

"K-Kurt," Sam warned a few precious seconds before he came in that beautiful mouth.

Sam met Kurt's eyes, as he watched his boyfriend swallow. Kurt stared at him, and then he used his fingers to swipe off the drops of come that had spilled out of his mouth. Kurt kept his eyes on Sam as he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. "You taste amazing, you know." Kurt breathed.

"God, Kurt.

Sam didn't think he could even form any other comments. _Nnngh_, _fuck_ and _Oh God Kurt_ were about as good as he was going to get right now. He'd been so hard that he came too quickly. He'd wanted it to last much longer, but that fucking mouth of Kurt's was too talented.

Kurt backed up off the bed and stared down at Sam. "Now I have to go take care of something," Kurt smiled.

"Let me watch," Sam pleaded.

"No, because if you watch, then I'll lose it, and I'll be all over you. And I'm not allowed to touch you," Kurt winked and leaned over him.

"Baby, I promise not to tell," Sam smirked.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower, and I'm going to jerk off to the image of you coming in my mouth," Kurt whispered. "And you are going to lie here and think about it. You are going to lie here imagining me naked, under the hot spray of the shower, knowing that while I'm in there, I'm thinking about you."

And then Kurt kissed him deeply with that fucking talented mouth and just left Sam there. To die.

After a few frustrating minutes of indecision, Sam figured out that, pain or no pain, he was going to get up and join Kurt in the shower.

And then he heard the front door close.

Perfect. Now everybody was home. Sam struggled to pull his boxers and shorts back up so nobody would know what had been going on.

"Sam, we're here," Mary Evans called out as she came towards the guest bedroom.

"Hey Mom," Sam called cheerfully.

Look innocent. Look totally innocent, he muttered to himself.

"Where's Kurt?"

_He's in the shower jerking off to the thought of me coming in his mouth, Mom. _

That was probably a truth that was best left unsaid. "He said he's taking a shower."

"Well, we heard some good news today. A confession tape was dropped off to the police, and apparently Shane Tinsley's voice is on it. Along with a certain angelic voice that you may know."

"Oh really?" Sam smiled.

"Yes, they are questioning Tinsley about it. They may charge him with conspiracy. They may also just scare him a little bit into confessing more. I like your investigator."

"I do too. I like my undercover investigator more though. Kurt let me listen to the tape before Santana turned it in."

"You have amazing friends, Samuel."

"I know," Sam smiled.

"Even with all that's happened, I'm glad you came back here for school. For Kurt. You are supposed to be here. I can tell."

"Thanks Mom. I think that too."

"He's special. I don't think Kurt really sees that about himself. But he's very special."

"I know he is. I keep telling him that, but he won't listen to me," Sam smiled.

"Give him time."

"So what did the investigator say?"

"The other four boys will be arraigned in a few weeks, and two of them have lawyers who have apparently suggested they plead guilty. I'm not supposed to know that, though." She winked. "They may not have enough on that Shane boy to make it stick, but they can cause a lot of trouble for him. I passed his father on the way into the station, and the man was livid."

"You sound like a cop off a TV show. _Make it stick_," Sam mocked her.

"Where are your brother and sister?" She replied with a smirk.

"Puck and Blaine came to take them for ice cream. They're bringing them back at 4:00."

"So you and Kurt have been all alone here?" His mother's eyebrow rose with concern.

"Mom, he didn't touch me. I swear. He told me what you guys made him promise." And since he wasn't lying, he was sure that his face was believable.

God, he couldn't wait until he turned eighteen in a few weeks. Then he could have Kurt all to himself whenever he wanted. And nobody could tell them no. Well, they could try, but then Kurt might have something to say about it because he'd only promised to keep his hands to himself until Sam turned eighteen. He didn't promise anything more than that.

Sam must have looked sincere enough about his protests because she didn't question him further.

"I'm going to go fix some lunch. Are you hungry?" She paused at the door.

"Yes, I am."

"Okay, I'll bring it up when it's ready."

Sam settled back into the pillows and cursed his mother's timing. He might have been able to convince Kurt to let him return the favor if he'd been able to get into that shower with him. Sam closed his eyes and smiled as he pictured Kurt in the shower, his hand pumping up and down over his cock as he stroked himself into an orgasm.

"Hey there. What are you thinking about?" Kurt was back, in the doorway, his hair wet and messy and so un-Kurt-like.

"Hey, beautiful. I'm thinking about you."

Kurt sauntered. That was the only word Sam could think of to describe it. He fucking sauntered across the room to him. And then he bent down and whispered, "I love you," into Sam's ear.

"I love you too," Sam whispered back.

"Fantasy you was amazing. But he's got nothing on _real _you," Kurt breathed into his ear.

"Nnngh," Sam murmured.

"Too bad there are too many people here."

"Oh, before you get worried. Mom knows we were here alone. I told her you didn't touch me, and she seemed to believe me," Sam whispered.

"I didn't _touch_ you. I _sucked_ you. There is a difference you know," Kurt laughed into his ear.

"If you don't stop saying shit like that, I'm going to be in the same situation," Sam moaned.

"Poor Sam. All frustrated and can't do anything about it," Kurt smirked at him.

"You are going to pay. When I get better. You are going to pay."

"Looking forward to it, Samuel." Kurt replied, winking at him.


	25. Chapter 25

Over the past two weeks, Sam was getting much better. His ribs no longer felt like they were cutting into his organs when he moved, and he was able to get up and move around a lot easier. He was back at school, and his mother had gone back to Kentucky. His dad was away for work, and Stacy and Stevie couldn't be kept out of school any longer.

She was coming back in the next few weeks for the arraignment, and until then, she said that Kurt was in charge of him.

Which had given his boyfriend way too much power, Sam thought.

His boyfriend was taking this whole not touching thing to an extreme. No matter what Sam did, sneaking into his room, ambushing him in the kitchen, subtly walking in on Kurt in the shower, he failed.

_Nothing_ was getting through to him that Sam was not above breaking every rule Burt Hummel had laid down.

But no. Kurt had to be honorable. He wouldn't even give him another blow job because of something Burt had said that evening. Somehow, Burt just _knew_ that Kurt had done something to Sam.

Whatever Burt had said to him, Kurt had come out of the kitchen saying that he felt like he'd betrayed all of his father's trust. Sam was convinced that Burt got him to confess. Apparently, one word or one correctly placed eyebrow raise could get Kurt to spill just about anything to his father.

Kurt had come to him muttering "you matter" over and over to him. Sam thought he was being helpful when he said "Thanks baby, you matter too."

But that had been the wrong thing to say, because Kurt had freaked out again. Then he started talking about how nothing was the same in this household. How nothing was ever fair. How some people were treated differently than others. He'd muttered about taking advantage of Sam for a full fifteen minutes.

Freaking Hummels. He never could figure them out.

He thought Kurt Hummel was a force to be reckoned with. But Burt. Burt was a master.

As far as he knew, Burt didn't know that they'd been together at all, other than the incident in the bedroom upstairs. But the looks he kept getting from Burt were worrying. It was like the man knew that Sam's ultimate goal was getting Kurt back into bed.

Like he had extrasensory perception or something.

The looks were freaking him out. And when Burt cleared his throat and jutted his chin forward, challenging him, Sam wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

Was he supposed to ask what was wrong? Did he _want_ to know what was wrong?

Should he tell Burt that he knew Kurt mattered? What did that even mean anyway?

Kurt refused to tell him, and when he confronted him over it, Kurt put his fingers in his ears and sang. What the hell was that even about?

He was tempted to mention the _something that_ _goes down in the tent_ phrase, just to mess with Burt's head, but since he was pretty sure that Burt was mad at him for mentally debauching his son, that might not be a good idea.

His boyfriend was confusing. And frustrating. And fucking hot as hell.

His boyfriend's father was scary. And frustrating. And mad as hell.

Sam had been a sexually frustrated wreck for over two weeks now.

But today. Today was the best day ever.

Because today, Samuel Evans was eighteen years old.

And there was nothing Burt Hummel could do about that. He'd only made Kurt promise to keep his hands off Sam until Sam was a legal adult.

And he became that today.

"Today is a beautiful day," Sam sighed out loud as he got up and got dressed.

"Yes, it is," a sexy voice said from the doorway to the guest room.

"There you are," Sam smiled and walked over to him.

He pulled Kurt into a kiss, and he let his hands roam freely over Kurt's gorgeous slim body. He wrapped Kurt into a hug, ignoring the twinge of pain in his torso, and opened his mouth over Kurt's. Kurt leaned into his embrace and kissed back heatedly.

His tongue swiped Sam's lower lip, and he dragged his hands through Sam's hair. Kurt kissed back with passion, and promise for what he was allowed to do with Sam now. Sam groaned into his mouth, and he dropped his hands lower, pulling Kurt's hips against him suggestively.

"My god, I've missed this," Kurt mumbled against his mouth.

They'd kissed over the past few weeks, but they were chaste kisses, either in front of family members or pecks when they were alone. Kurt refused to kiss him more deeply because of the vow to not touch him. He hadn't wanted to get carried away and end up not being able to control himself, he'd said.

"Me too. Want you." Sam grunted and kissed him again.

"So caveman of you. Very hot." Kurt ran his fingers through Sam's hair and pulled back to look at him. "I have a surprise for you."

"Later. Want you now."

"We can't. I was sent up to get you for breakfast. We have to go downstairs."

"Is Finn there?"

"No. He didn't come home again last night. Carole's worried. I have a hunch about where he's going, but I can't prove it yet."

"Where?" Sam looked at him in surprise.

"Mr. Schuester. Who else does he turn to when he's upset about something?"

"Fuck. You're right."

Kurt had told him once about Finn's strange relationship with Mr. Schuester. Apparently, Schue had gotten closely involved in the pregnancy scare from sophomore year, before Sam had come to town. He'd even taken Finn and Quinn to doctor's appointments.

Kurt said that he'd been pissed that when it came out that Finn wasn't the father of the baby, Mr. Schuester hadn't extended the same hand of friendship to Puck when he'd found out that Puck was really the dad.

So he hadn't been helping Finn because he'd needed guidance about being a father. If he had, wouldn't he have done the same for Puck? Puck didn't have a father in his life either.

It had been as if only Finn mattered. At that point, after finding out that Finn wasn't the daddy, Schue had washed his hands of both Puck and Quinn.

According to rumor anyway, Mr. Schuester had even asked Finn to be his best man during the craziness of his engagement to Ms. Pillsbury. What adult asks a seventeen year old to stand up for him? It's a good thing Ms. Pillsbury got out when she did. After she got the tenure position, Schuester had weirded out on her again, and she'd returned his ring.

Kurt's bond with Coach Sylvester and Sam's own bond with Coach Bieste could supply some good information. After they'd apologized to Bieste for the stupid fantasy incident, she'd done her best to keep her boys together. Even though Sam wasn't on the team anymore, she had his back when he needed it.

And she was a wealth of information when it was important.

Sam sighed and followed his boyfriend downstairs.

Sam was surprised to see that Kurt, or Carole maybe, had made a huge breakfast for him for his birthday. In addition, in a small pile on the table, were a bunch of gifts. He smiled and went over to open them. And then Kurt came up behind him to put a phone to his ear.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMMY!" He heard as soon as he said hello. The screaming voices belonged to his Frog and his Bug.

"Hey guys! I miss you!"

"We miss you too," Stevie said. "We left you presents when we were with you!"

"I see that." Sam picked up two homemade cards from his brother and sister, and he opened and read them. Tears started forming, and Kurt reached over to squeeze his arm.

"Mommy left you something too."

"She didn't have to do that."

His mother had taken him out for a dinner when she was still in town. She said it was part of her birthday gift to him since she'd be back in Kentucky when his birthday came. She gave him his father's old watch. He'd started crying that night too.

He looked up to find Kurt smiling at him, with tears in his eyes too.

"She said you needed hers," Stevie's voice said in his ear.

Kurt handed him a wrapped package as he listened to his brother and sister. Kurt mouthed that it was from his mother, and Sam nodded.

He opened it to find research books on cognitive psychology and dyslexia. They were recommended texts from the Kent State counselor he'd spoken to after he'd been accepted. And they were expensive books!

"Let me talk to Mom, guys."

"How did you afford these?" Sam asked when she got on the line.

"I saved up. We might not be able to do as much for you with tuition, but I can help with that. And when you get your classes figured out, we'll help with books then too."

"Mom, just one of these cost a hundred dollars! You and dad need that money!"

"And you need the books, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. These are used as reference in most of the classes I'm going to be taking."

"I know. And I knew if I was there when you got them, you'd make me take them back. This way, you can't." He could hear his mother's smirk over the phone.

Sam shook his head and wiped some tears from his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I love you, son."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Here, Dad wants to talk to you. Happy Birthday sweetie."

"Thank you Mom." Sam smiled when his father got on the line. "Hey Dad. Love you too. Why did you let her do that?"

"Because she's your mother. When have you ever said no to her and gotten away with it?"

"Well, that's true."

None of the Evans men could say no to Mary Evans and get away with it. And Stacy was growing up with the same power.

"Thank you Dad."

"You're welcome Son. I love you. Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks, love you guys. Bye."

He punched the end button on Kurt's cell and handed it to him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I told them I'd call as soon as you got up." Kurt walked over and looked at the research books. "Nice." He turned and kissed Sam.

"I love you." Sam smiled.

"I love you too." Kurt grinned and put a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of him. "Now eat."

"Nice! I'm not even going to complain about calories today." Sam dug into the pancakes and moaned.

"You'd better not. I made these. And stop sounding pornographic. It's just breakfast." Kurt grinned from behind a cup of coffee.

"Your breakfast incites pornographic thoughts though. That's _not_ my fault."

Kurt laughed as his sipped his coffee. "Just my breakfast?"

Sam looked around to see if Burt was coming in to the kitchen anytime soon.

Then he got up and pulled Kurt into his arms. "Umm. Hell no, not just your breakfast. Everything about you is pornographic to me."

Kurt kissed him, "Yum. You taste like syrup."

"I'm lower calorie than syrup too," Sam mocked, licking Kurt's lips.

"You're much more addictive though. You're worse than sugar or caffeine or anything illegal."

"Good to know. So guess what?" Sam sat back down to finish eating.

"What?"

"I'm eighteen today," Sam lifted an eyebrow suggestively, and Kurt laughed at him.

"I know."

"So, was there anything else I get for my birthday?"

"Maybe. Tonight." Kurt grinned at him shamelessly. "I have plans for you."

"Good. Does Burt know this?"

"Does Burt know what?" Kurt's father strode into the kitchen and slapped Sam on the shoulder. "Happy Birthday Kid!"

Sam's face must have frozen because Kurt just fell over, laughing outright at Sam's discomfort.

His boyfriend really was heartless. Why was Sam even with him in the first place? He glared at the laughing traitor.

"He wanted to know if you know about my plans for him for this birthday, Dad."

Sam's eye was twitching.

He'd never had a twitch before. That was another thing that was Kurt Hummel's fault. He was going to have involuntary twitch problems and blue balls for the rest of his life. He could feel it now.

"What plans?" Burt's eyes narrowed at Sam. At Sam! He was innocent in all this. Well, maybe he wasn't innocent, but he also hadn't been in on the planning either.

The plans were Kurt's! Why was Sam getting the Death Glare Hummel Senior Edition? He hadn't done anything.

Yet anyway.

"I don't have any plans, sir."

That _sir_ came reflexively, and Burt smirked at him. That same smirk Kurt had.

Geez. They had the same smirk.

"You don't huh?" Burt poured himself some coffee and fixed himself a plate of pancakes.

"I'm the one making the plans Dad. It is, after all, his eighteenth birthday." Kurt turned his smirk on Burt.

Sam was very pleased to see that now Burt had a twitch. He smiled, started humming and resumed eating his pancakes.

His boyfriend had given Burt a twitch. Life was good.

"Now, Kurt."

"Oh, no. There's no, _Now Kurt_, anymore. We discussed this already.""

"I know that. I know we talked about it. And I know you promised to behave yourself until his birthday. But this is still my house. And I'm not comfortable with that."

Burt _did_ look uncomfortable, and Sam didn't find that as funny as he had before.

"I just want to know one thing. Why is it that Sam and I are treated differently than Rachel and Finn?" Kurt leaned against the counter and stared at his father.

Sam had stopped chewing and looked up at his boyfriend.

He hadn't expected the conversation to go there.

"You aren't treated differently," Burt argued.

"Dad, please." Sam watched Kurt's _bitch, please_ face emerge.

Uh oh. Burt was in for it now.

"Yes, we are. Just over a month ago, Finn, who is emotionally unstable, and Rachel, who is all kinds of crazy for being with him, were given permission to have sex in Rachel's room, in her house, by her fathers, you and Carole. Rachel is _still_ freaked out about it. I found her muttering something about having bad aim with shoes and Finn wanting to poop in her house."

_What the fuck_? No. What he really meant was _what the actual fuck_?

Sam tilted his head in confusion and looked at Kurt. His boyfriend shook his head to say he wasn't going to clarify right now.

"They are engaged, Kurt. Even though none of the parents involved want them to be."

"And they are also both _under_ the age of eighteen. Both of them. Yet, the four of you decided that because they are immature enough to believe that marriage is right for them before they graduate, they have somehow become mature enough to have sex in your houses."

"Kurt, we did that to show them that they're wrong."

"So it's okay for adults to decide to give two seventeen year olds permission to have sex in their parents' houses as a way to teach them a lesson? But two eighteen year olds who have been in love since they met, and who are smart enough to realize that they aren't ready to be married, aren't mature enough to do the same thing? Sam and I don't have any lessons to learn here."

"What do you mean you've been in love since you met?" Burt caught on to the nugget of information Sam thought he'd missed.

"Kurt means that he and I were together last year. And yes, before you start to wonder and get uncomfortable about it, things did _go down in the tent_ last year," Sam answered for Kurt. "So, he's not taking advantage of me or anything. I don't know where you and my mother got that idea."

"Remember when you said that Dad? That I was taking advantage of Sam last year because I was interested in him. I was never taking advantage. Because Sam wanted me too. But Finn convinced you that I was doing that, didn't he? Just that one sentence. Just one. And he wasn't even talking about sex. He was talking about a stupid duet. But it's clouded your judgment over this."

"Maybe it has," Burt admitted. "I didn't think about it that way."

"So why are we treated differently?"

"Because you're my son. It might not be right, but that's what it is. I love Finn, but he's not my blood. He's not you," Burt admitted quietly.

"I get that, Dad. But I'm not a child. And I'm not going back on what I said. Sam and I are both eighteen now. I'm not going to stop wanting to be with him. But I am going to be honest with you, because like you said, this is your house."

"Kurt, can I add something?" Kurt nodded at Sam's question.

"I love him, Burt. I've loved him for a very long time. Over a year now. Granted, he and I didn't always make the right decisions when it came to being together. My route took me through three girls who never looked at me the way he does. I know not everybody understands the whole concept of bisexuality. But Kurt gets me. He understands me like nobody ever has. And it's been that way between us since we met. I may not know how everything in my life is going to work out, but I know that I love him."

Sam looked at Kurt and found him smiling with tears in his eyes.

"Dad. I settled for Blaine because I didn't think Sam wanted me," Kurt was talking to his father, but his eyes never left Sam's. "Sam means everything to me, and I gave him up before because I thought I knew what was best for him. But I was stupid to do that. Because nobody could ever love him like I do. And I'm going to make sure nobody else ever gets a chance to either," Kurt smiled.

And Sam fell in love all over again.

Kurt came over to Sam and wrapped his arms around Sam's head and shoulders. Sam was seated, so Kurt didn't even have to bend down. Sam's arm wrapped around his waist, and he pulled him closer.

"So what are your plans for Sam's birthday?" Sam looked up at Burt's voice and it looked like Kurt's father was crying.

Kurt looked back at his father and smiled. Sam tilted his head to watch Kurt's response.

He wanted to know too, because it wasn't exactly like Kurt had had time to run his plans by Sam before telling Burt about them.

"I want Sam to spend the night with me."


	26. Chapter 26

"You want to explain to me how we just got out of there with our lives?" Sam asked as he and Kurt left for school.

Burt Hummel had stared at Kurt, but he hadn't answered him for quite a few tense minutes. Kurt had glared back at him after making the declaration that Sam was sleeping in his room tonight, and his boyfriend was not backing down from it. Sam had felt like escaping the room, but when he made an effort to leave, the look Kurt had shot him had him sitting right back down.

So much for escaping. He'd had two options. Stay in the kitchen and suffer the wrath of Burt Hummel or leave the kitchen and suffer the wrath of the younger Hummel. The one he loved who could deny him sex for the remainder of his life.

Yeah, that had been a no-brainer. So he sat back down and waited for the Hummel men's powers of mind control to cancel each other out.

Sam had let out a breath of relief when Burt looked at Kurt, nodded, and said "Okay, you do have a point about Rachel and Finn. But I don't have to like it. I'll see how Carole feels about it and we'll talk again tonight."

Kurt had nodded an acknowledgement but he said nothing while Mr. Hummel had left the room. He'd turned and grinned at Sam before grabbing his jacket and leading them out the front door.

Sam was following, and he was brought up short when Kurt stopped in the driveway, scanning his cell phone and punching buttons furiously. He'd missed Sam's question about getting out alive apparently.

"What is it?"

"Santana." Kurt smiled and looked up at him. "Got him."

At Sam's questioning glance, Kurt said "I'll tell you later. Let's go."

They got into the Navigator and Kurt pulled out of the driveway.

"So, really? You made me sit there while your father burned holes into my skull with his evil eyes? Couldn't have some pity?"

"Burning holes in your skull with his evil eyes? You've been reading too many comics." Kurt laughed at him.

"Maybe so. But I'm the one he wants to kill. When did he go from protecting my virtue to slaughtering me with his death glare?"

"Well, it was your idea to point out that something went down in the tent. So you kind of brought that on yourself. And since you brought it up and pointed out that I hadn't taken advantage of you, I'm guessing he assumed that you meant that you had taken advantage of me instead." Kurt smirked.

"Shit, I didn't think he'd take it that way."

"And I'm _so_ not telling him. He'll keep you on your toes."

"That's cruel."

"Your point?"

"You're putting my life in danger, don't you realize that?" Sam grinned.

"And you are way too dramatic."

"I'm dramatic?" Sam replied incredulously. "Since when am I more dramatic than you?"

"Since you started fearing the wrath of my father's death glare," he mocked.

"Yours is worse." Sam muttered under his breath.

"My what is worse?" Kurt asked.

"Your death glare. Cause you eye-fuck me with it, and I'm helpless against it."

"Oh, really?" Kurt sounded way too interested in this information he probably shouldn't have let slip. If he knew he had such power, he'd used it for evil against Sam.

"Yes, it's very powerful. I try to use the powers of my Trouty Pout against it, but sometimes you still win. And I don't mind letting you win, because that eye-fucking is amazing. I just wish you'd use it for good and not evil."

"Did we wake up in a world full of comic book references this morning?" Kurt smiled.

"Possibly. That would be cool, and it _is_ my birthday. We should make obscure comic book and superhero movie references all day. Maybe we could throw Avatar and Star Wars into it."

"Like, so you want to play with my light saber tonight?" Kurt licked his lips and grinned at Sam.

"I thought you said you'd never talk dirty to me using Star Wars references?" Sam snorted.

"And you mind?"

"Um. No. And I'd very much like to play with your light saber." Sam leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek.

"Good. Cause I have plans for you, Evans."

"God, I love it when you call me that. So fucking sexy." Sam leaned up against the seat and sighed. "So what did Santana do or say? And who's the _him_ that you've _got_?"

"You'll see. I have to see for myself first." Kurt pulled into the McKinley parking lot and parked the Navigator. "We have to find Jacob Ben Israel."

"Um. Why? We don't like him."

"We may not like him, but he's very useful."

Sam just followed along with Kurt. Obviously Kurt had something going on today that Sam wasn't in the loop on, and that was fine. As long as he got alone time with Kurt tonight, Kurt could have all day to be elusive and scary. As long as the scary wasn't turned against Sam, then all was well.

Kurt stalked over to Ben Israel as soon as he entered the building. Sam followed, assuming that eventually Kurt would tell him what was going on.

"Jacob!" Kurt shouted. "Sam, could you assist me with detaining him?"

Sam's eyebrow rose, and he took Jacob by the elbow and steered him into an empty room. "Am I the muscle today? I'm still recovering, you know." Sam smirked at him.

"Yes, you're the muscle. He isn't as scared of me, are you, Jacob?"

"Um. No," Jacob answered Kurt but looked at Sam nervously.

"Do you have it?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, but what's in this for me?"

"Blogging rights, of course. Of this," Kurt took out a flash drive and handed it over. "If things don't go my way today. This has a short video on it, but it's edited with blurred out faces. If this doesn't go my way, today, you get the original."

"Who's on it?"

"A certain student entering and leaving a certain teacher's home on multiple occasions. Either in late evening or early morning."

"What?" Jacob looked like he was salivating.

"I don't know what's going on. It could be totally innocent. But you don't actually care if it's innocent or not, do you?" Kurt smirked at him.

"N-no." Jacob answered.

"That's what I thought. And right now. Neither do I. But I'm going to find out, and if I don't get answers today, you get the original and you can create a scandal to your heart's content. Deal?"

"Deal," Jacob nodded.

"Hand it over."

Jacob handed Kurt a manila folder, and Kurt opened it slowly. He flipped through the contents, and he smiled. "Thank you Jacob."

"You're welcome. Can I go now?"

"Yes."

Sam turned to Kurt after Jacob left the room. "What's going on?"

"I have video of Finn going in and out of Schue's house over the past few weeks. At crazy hours of the night. Did you know how resourceful Santana is?"

"Yes. She's almost as scary as you."

"When I told her my theory about Schue being behind the complaints, she was all over it. I hardly had to do anything." Kurt smiled.

"So what are you doing?"

"Just old-fashioned blackmail. I don't know if I'm any good at it, since I've only ever blackmailed Finn over his browser history."

Sam grinned at him. "I love you and your devious ways."

"I know. Let's go."

"Who are we hunting down?"

"Finn. I'm not sure if I can get away with blackmailing a teacher. Finn I can handle. And he'll go running right back to Schue. Which means Schue will come to me."

"Excellent."

They found Finn in the weight room, where Kurt said he was sure he'd be. He often came to school early to work out.

"Finn," Kurt nodded at his stepbrother, who glared back without responding.

"We have some questions for you," Sam sat down on the bench next to him.

"What?" Finn asked.

"How long have you been secretly visiting Mr. Schuester. And what for?" Kurt asked quietly.

Finn's face paled and he shot up off the bench. "What are you talking about?"

"We have it on video. You coming out of Mr. Schue's house at all hours of the night. Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

"I've just been going there because you make it so uncomfortable to be home!"

"It's your problem that you can't deal with me being there. It's my house too." Kurt replied. "I'm not the one with obsessive feelings I can't deal with. I'm not the one who can't decide if he wants to be homophobic or not."

"Shut up, Kurt." Finn replied angrily and Sam got up to stand between them.

Injured ribs or not, he was not letting Finn lay a hand on Kurt. He'd put Kurt through too much already.

"Finn, here's the deal. Get your man-crush to lay off the complaints against the gay and lesbian students or the video goes public. Right now, Ben Israel already has a teaser video that shows blurred out faces on it. If you don't get Schue to back off, the original goes live on his blog later today."

"You can't do that!" Finn shouted.

"Oh yes. Yes I can. I'm done with you trying to ruin my life. I'm done with you using your insecurities to harass other people. You and Schue have an unhealthy relationship as it is. Something is going on and you need to deal with it. Why would you run to him? You aren't stable enough to handle shit like this Finn. You're going to lose Rachel permanently if you don't fix this."

"It's none of your fucking business!" Finn pushed forward to get through Sam, but Sam stepped to the side and pulled Kurt with him.

He couldn't fight Finn right now, but he'd be damned if Finn was going to hurt his boyfriend.

"It became our business when Mr. Schue complained about the gay and lesbian students kissing in the halls." Sam added.

"It wasn't him!" Finn shouted.

"Then who did he get to complain about it? He was involved somehow. I know he was."

"One of the students complained!" Finn responded.

"Who?"

"None of your business!"

"It became my business when the homosexual students became targets for discrimination by teachers. Dealing with students is one thing. We can handle that. We do not have to handle it from teachers. You better get him to back off. And you'd better have good news for me before three today. Or Ben Israel gets the video."

"You are so fucked up. How could you do this to me?" Finn asked quietly.

"I could ask you the same thing concerning every time you verbally harassed me. Or every time you accused me of sexually harassing you or Sam or Puck. Or every time you called me a stalker. Or every time you used how I felt about Sam as a means to control me and make me stay away from him. Or every time you lied to my father about my behavior so that he'd side with you. Do you have an answer for me about those things?"

"No," Finn replied quietly.

"Then don't you dare ask me that again. Anything I could do at this moment pales in comparison to what you did to me. You got yourself into this situation. I did nothing to you. Other than mistakenly put my faith in you. I _cared_ about you, Finn. Sophomore year, all I wanted was to love you. Then when we became brothers, that meant more to me than you'll ever know. And you used that. You used all of it against me to get back a feeling you couldn't find with Rachel or Quinn. So which one of us is the one who's fucked up, Finn?"

"Me." Finn answered, but he didn't look at Kurt.

"You aren't going to find that feeling with Mr. Schuester either. And I know that's what you're searching for. You want someone to accept you as you are. But we can't do that because you can't be that way. You can't get away with using people like that. It's not healthy. I don't know what's going on between you and Mr. Schue, but unfortunately for me, I do care. Because if you are doing something stupid, this will affect your mother. And I love her. I don't want you hurting her."

"You'll hurt her if you do this!" Finn shouted.

"Perhaps. And maybe when she sees what you've been doing, she'll forgive me. But she'll see the truth. And maybe you'll get help you actually need. Because that therapist you're seeing doesn't seem to be helping you. You're self-destructing. And you will not take anybody else down with you. I won't allow it."

Sam watched as Finn struggled with his anger. And then, almost defeatedly, Finn dropped back down on to the bench.

"I'll talk to him about it. I'll do what I can." Finn said quietly.

"Good. I need to know by 2:45 pm though."

Sam followed Kurt out the door back into the hallway. "Shit. What's going on between those two?"

"I don't know. But it's not good. Whatever it is. Come with me," Kurt smiled and took Sam's hand.

They found an empty classroom and Kurt gestured for Sam to sit. He dropped the manila folder in front of him.

"I wanted you to see this first. Before Jacob takes post it today with the information I got."

Sam opened the folder and found a folded up newspaper.

"It's from yesterday. I didn't want you to see it until today. Until I could confirm more."

Sam read the headline aloud. "_**Local Football Star Charged in Attack on Student. Girlfriend Questioned**_."

"They got him, Sam. Shane's being charged for it. Right alongside the others. They questioned Mercedes about her knowing about it afterwards and not reporting. And what's even better is that Mercedes's club was disbanded. Figgins called her out yesterday. Of course, he only did it because Coach made him. But he did it. And Mercedes is suspended too. Her family is furious as hell at her for not doing anything about it. The rest of the boys, Shane included, have been expelled."

Sam looked up at Kurt. "You're amazing."

"Nope. Just determined. They can't use the audiotape I made as evidence, but they were able to get a confession out of him. It's a long shot, but they're going to do what they can to prosecute fully."

Sam stood and kissed Kurt softly. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now look at the other papers. This is the best part. This is what our two favorite coaches have been working on for the past few weeks."

Sam flipped through a stack of printed out emails. "What are these?"

"Confirmation emails from the colleges that were either planning to offer Shane full scholarships or had already started the process. All five schools have withdrawn their offers. They've chosen to disassociate with an incoming freshman with a history of bullying people for their sexuality."

"What?"

"Bieste and Sylvester teamed up. Bieste knew the recruiters from all five schools, and Sue did her work. She isn't afraid of anybody. The recruiters were informed about the accusations, the extent of your injuries. Everything. Two of the recruiters backed off Shane immediately. The other three had to be encouraged by Sue. Bieste put in a word or two, from what Coach told me. The schools even considering partial scholarships have been contacted too. Coach is still working on those. When she's done with him, he'll be lucky to get enough financial aid to attend Lima Community College."

"All this, for me?"

"For us. For everybody here at this school who thinks they can get away with this shit. But yes, especially for you. Nobody hurts _my_ Sam."

Sam liked the sound of that.

"I guess that makes you my superhero today," he whispered and kissed Kurt again.


	27. Chapter 27

It was nearing two o'clock before Kurt got the answer he was looking for. He'd had to track down Santana on foot because Kurt had left his cell phone in his jacket, and his jacket was who knows where.

He felt almost naked without the device. He remembered having his jacket when they confronted Finn, but now he couldn't remember where he'd left it. He'd looked in his regular classes as well as the empty rooms he and Sam had been randomly making out in today.

He couldn't even get a hold of Sam to see if he had it, because the damn phone was in the jacket. This was annoying. Santana was supposed to bring him the video with Finn and Schue's faces on it, the unblurred one that he may need to give Jacob.

He found her at around two, and she was grinning when he walked into the room.

"We did it. Britt and I just got out of Figgins's office. After some creepy comments about him being happier to see me and Brittany kiss than hetero couples, he told me that the official complaints had been dropped. He even told me who complained! It was Finn!"

"What?" Kurt's voice dropped. "He lied to me again!"

Dammit. What the hell did he expect? Of course Finn wasn't going to own up to it in front of him. He would figure out a way to get out of it, no matter who he had to screw over to do it.

"Who did he say did it?"

"He denied it being Schuester who did it, but I'll bet that he influenced Finn to do it, if Finn really was the one to officially file the complaint."

Finn would do just about anything that Schue asked him to do. And that was dangerous. If Schue was capable of using Finn this way when he was this unstable, what else would Finn end up doing?

"Here's the video. But do you need it now?" Santana handed over the device.

"Not for what I'd planned. I'm not giving it to Jacob. I only promised him the video if things didn't go my way. And they did."

He looked at the storage device holding the video and decided in that moment exactly what he was going to do with it.

"Thanks, Kurt."

"Hey, the evidence was all you, Satan."

"Still. Brittany asked if she can make out with you as a reward." Santana smirked.

Kurt laughed. "What did you tell her?"

"That she can only make out with you if I get to watch you and Trouty make out."

"Stop being mean to her. It's not her fault she likes my lips."

Santana crossed her arms in front of her. "She's obsessed with the baby soft hands too. It's irritating. No matter what I do, she says my hands aren't as soft as yours are."

"And you actually try? I would have figured you would tell her to forget about my hands."

"That doesn't work. I think that if you were straight or bi in any way, she'd be all over you, no matter how much she loves me," Santana's narrowed at him.

"I'm sorry! I can't do anything to fix that." Kurt grinned.

"I know. Doesn't make it less irritating."

"It's funny. We're a pair. You obsess about her fixation on a guy, and I obsess over Sam's bisexuality. And you _do_ consider yourself a lesbian and not bisexual, right?"

She nodded. "It took me a long time to get there, but that's who I am. I just find two guys making out very hot."

"That's another thing we have in common," Kurt smirked at her. "So we're two gay people in love with bisexuals and insecure about the fact that they have interest in the opposite sex."

"It still bothers you? About Sam, I mean."

"Yes. I get scared that he's going to leave me for a girl. He's already done it. Twice actually. You're the one girlfriend that he had that he didn't leave me for. Of course, I had something to do with that. If I'd trusted him more, I wouldn't have let him go."

"He loves you. I mean, really loves you. He used to talk about you all the time."

"I know he does. My issue has nothing to do with his behavior. It's all about my insecurity. I'm afraid that he'll wake up one day and realize that I'm not the one he wants. That I'm not enough. Everybody else in my life has done it, so why wouldn't Sam?"

"Because he isn't stupid. He has always wanted you. I could see that when he dated me. He was miserable while you were at Dalton."

"So was I."

"So stop worrying about him. He wants you. And you two are finally together. Everybody in Glee could see how you two used to look at each other. It was just a matter of time."

"Thanks," Kurt smiled.

"No problem Prancy Smurf."

"Really? _Prancy_ Smurf?"

"I've been holding that one in for a while." Santana smirked. "Don't worry about him, Prancy. You two are a match made in heaven. You both have ass for days."

"Thanks. Is that why you want to watch us?"

"It's part of it. Really, I'd kind of like to just spank both of you." Santana replied with a shrug.

"You are a sick and twisted person, Satan." Kurt felt his eyebrow go up at her admission.

"I know. But it works for me." She smiled and left the room.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sam met him at his locker at around three and wordlessly handed him his jacket.

"Where did you find it?" Kurt asked as he put it on.

"The empty room we used earlier when you did that thing with your tongue. I have history in that classroom." Sam looked upset about something. He didn't even smirk when he talked about what Kurt had done with his tongue.

Kurt remembered that room very well, and he blushed a little at what they'd done there earlier. And at how Sam just so casually referred to it in public. He didn't think he'd ever get used to that.

Kurt nodded and kissed him. "Thanks. Is anything wrong?"

"No. I just have a headache." Sam smiled at him, but it wasn't his usual bright grin.

He'd never get over how beautiful Sam was. And the other boy never seemed to realize it. His eyes were gorgeous, despite how pained they seemed at the moment. Sam always called Kurt beautiful, but he disagreed with him. Kurt felt awkward and thin. Sam was toned and his skin was sun-kissed. And he was so kind and loving. Kurt was never going to understand how or why in the world Sam loved him. But he was glad that he did. So very glad.

"I'm sorry." Kurt kissed him on the temple and brushed the hair from his face. "Did you take something?" He rested his palm against Sam's cheek.

"Yeah, at lunch. It'll be fine. Did you get what you wanted from Santana?"

"Yes. I don't need to use it though. The complaints got pulled. But I did find out that Figgins told Santana that Finn was actually the person who complained. He probably did it for Schue, but I can't prove that. And I don't really want to delve into it any further, honestly."

"Finn, huh? Figures." Sam seemed distracted.

"Sam, is there anything else bothering you besides your headache?"

"No, baby. I can't wait for tonight. Are we going to Breadstix?"

"Yes, I have it planned for seven. I don't even have to cook for Dad and Carole. She's doing it tonight."

"Okay," Sam nodded and looked into Kurt's eyes. "I love you, you know that right?"

"Yes, I know that. I love you too. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes." Sam answered quietly.

"Have you been talking to Santana?"

Maybe Sam was acting weird because he thought Kurt was acting weird. If Santana had told him about Kurt's insecurity, he'd kill her. He didn't want Sam to know about that.

"Why?" Sam tilted his head.

"Nothing. It's not important." Kurt noticed that Sam didn't say yes or no to the question though.

"I'm going to go grab my stuff. I'm going with Puck and I'll meet you at the restaurant. He's taking me for some guy time for my birthday. Probably video games."

"Okay."

Kurt pulled his face towards him and kissed him softly. "Have fun."

"I will. Oh, he said to tell you that Blaine broke up with him. He went back to Sebastian," Sam grimaced.

"That idiot. Do I need to castrate Blaine?"

Shit. Blaine was going to fuck more up than he even knew if he kept up this obsession he had with Sebastian.

"Ouch. I don't think so. You don't have to protect everybody, you know. He can handle himself."

Sam sounded irritated with him. Why would he be upset at Kurt wanting to protect his friends? Or was it that he really had talked to Santana and was upset about that after all? Kurt wished he knew, but he didn't know how to ask him. Sam didn't need to deal with this on his birthday.

"I know he can. But it's the Burt Hummel coming out in me. You sure he's okay?" Kurt asked quietly.

"He seems to be. I'm not sure he was really interested in Blaine relationship wise. I don't know though."

"Tell him if he needs me to chop the little Hobbit's hairy feet off, he just needs to text me."

Sam laughed a little and kissed him. "I love you. See you later."

"Love you too."

He watched Sam walk down the hallway towards the locker room.

He pulled his phone out of the jacket and scrolled through the list of missed calls and texts.

Shit. **David Karofsky: 7 missed calls.**

David had never called him this often. Ever since the night at Scandal's when they'd exchanged numbers, the most he'd gotten is a call every week or so. Usually when he was feeling down about himself and his love life. Or lack thereof, David often complained.

Kurt reminded him multiple times that picking up all your love interests at Scandal's might have something to do with his problem.

Kurt scrolled down to find David's name on his contact list and pressed to dial his number.

"Kurt!"

"What is it, David? I haven't had my phone with me for hours."

"Fucking hell, Kurt. I got outed. Didn't you see my texts?"

"SHIT! What happened? No, I didn't. I ignored them when I saw how many times you tried to call me."

"The fucking football team. They saw me with Seb at the arcade. You know how Seb is. He fucking flirts all the time. They over heard him because we didn't see them," David's voice was shaky. "Can you meet me at the Lima Bean at 4:00. I can't find Seb anywhere."

"He probably has Warbler practice. I'll be there. Can you get yourself there without getting into an accident?"

"Yeah. I just got a beep, he might be calling me. Thanks."

"Hang up and take the call. And you're welcome." He ended the call and went straight to his list of messages.

**From David: Fucking Hell, Kurt. I got outed. Call me.**

**From David: I'm crying. I haven't been this fucking shaky since that day I kissed you. CALL ME.**

**From David: Can't find S. Need you to call me.**

**From David: Fuck Kurt. Need you. Call.**

**From David: Lima Bean 4 pm. Meet me. Please.**

He was glad he'd found his phone. David would have gone over the edge if he didn't hear from one of them over this. This was David's biggest fear. That stupid football team. Of course.

It didn't matter whether David and Sebastian were dating or not. And as far as Kurt knew, they weren't. They'd use it against him in a heartbeat. And probably had.

Kurt could imagine David sitting there, hands shaking as he typed out the texts. Shit.

He was just glad he hadn't listened to Blaine about extending a hand of friendship to David. Blaine didn't know about it, of course. He never had. Kurt knew that Blaine would have pitched an unholy fit if he knew that Kurt and David had been in distant contact since that first night at Scandal's.

Kurt had done it because David needed a friend. He'd needed someone to turn to when things got bad. Kurt wondered if Sebastian could end up being that person for David, but he was waiting to see.

Personally, he didn't think that Sebastian was good enough for David, but that was a product of the Warbler's constant put-downs and attitude towards Kurt. He'd never seen Sebastian with David. Maybe David brought out the good in Sebastian.

If there was any good inside the Warbler to be found at all.

David always said that Sebastian flirted with him but wasn't sleazy and slutty with him. They could be good for each other. If Blaine would stay out of it.

It was bad enough he'd broken up with Noah. If Blaine screwed this up for David, too, Kurt would kill him.

He checked the time, and he had just enough time to get to the Lima Bean. He'd have taken Sam with him if his boyfriend wasn't already off with Noah doing some Halo or Call of Duty bonding. It might be good for David to talk to another jock about the situation.

Kurt, Blaine and Sebastian weren't exactly experts on dealing with the outing of a football player.

He got into his Navigator and pulled out. He wondered if David would be okay with him telling Sam about him. They had a bit of a history, but it was mainly because Kurt refused to out David to anybody. Not even Sam. The situation had blown up in his face when he'd told Blaine about David. He didn't want another incident like that one.

Maybe David would appreciate hearing how Sam was dealing with his situation. Of course, Sam being bisexual was different, but he _was_ in a relationship with a guy.

David was sitting alone at a table in the back when Kurt arrived.

Kurt forgot about ordering a drink and just headed to the back and sat down. "You okay?"

David's eyes were red and swollen.

"Nevermind. I can see you're not alright," Kurt answered for him. "Did you find Sebastian?"

"No. How long does practice last?"

"It used to last until five. If that's where he is, then his phone is off. They started that rule back when I was a Warbler. People kept interrupting practice, so phones have to go off while they're in the room."

"It was awful," David whispered.

"What happened?"

"They spray painted my locker door with FAG. Then they surrounded me in the locker room and were shouting at me. Pushing me. All the shit I used to do to you. Fucking pisses me off. You put up with that shit for months, and I couldn't handle it for a day without panicking."

"Stop comparing the two. All that's in the past. Worry about now," Kurt smiled and squeezed his arm.

"They got to my facebook too. It's awful. Posting stuff like _go back into the closet_. Telling me to kill myself."

"Oh, David," Kurt cried softly. "I'm so sorry."

"What am I going to do? I can't go back to that school."

"Then go to a different one. You can do this. We'll help you. Sebastian and I will definitely help you. There are people who love you and will stand by you."

"I lost my best friend. Azimio won't talk to me anymore. And my mother…" David cried quietly.

"What?"

"She said I had a disease and maybe it could be cured."

"David, people like that. You don't need them. If they can't accept you for who you are, then I say screw 'em. There are other people who will be there for you. Your dad is."

Kurt wiped tears from his eyes and took David's hand.

"I know. He's been great."

"Can I ask you something? Can I tell Sam? He's not got the same perspective as you, but I think it would help you to talk to him. He's not as, well, twinky, as Sebastian, Blaine and I are." He smiled at David.

David laughed. "Sebastian would kill you for calling him that."

"He can suck it."

"That's probably not an insult to him," David smirked.

"Probably not," Kurt laughed. "Think about it, okay."

"I don't have to, you can tell him. Hell. I don't think I can get any 'outer' right now."

Kurt's phone buzzed and he let go of David's hand to pull it out of his pocket.

**From Sam: Not coming tonite. need sum space**

**From Kurt: What do you mean you aren't coming? Why baby?**

**From Sam: I saw u Kurt. with Karofsky. saw the texts, the calls. i trusted u.**

"No, no. NO! This is not happening."

Kurt punched Sam's contact information in his phone. The phone rang over and over, and Sam was obviously not going to answer. Kurt punched the end button and turned to David.

"I'm sorry. I have to go."

Kurt was not going to cry. He was going to get to Sam and explain the situation. And Sam was going to listen. He grabbed his belongings and nearly knocked over David's coffee cup.

No. Sam was not going to do this. Not when Kurt hadn't done anything wrong.

"What's the matter?"

"S-Sam. He thinks. He thinks I'm… I think he thinks I'm _with_ you. Like cheating on him, _with you_. But why? I haven't done anything to make him think that."

"Calm down. What did he say?"

"He said he wasn't coming to his birthday dinner tonight. Because he saw me. Saw my texts and my calls. He found my jacket today, and my phone was in it."

Kurt scrolled through the texts he'd received from David.

"Oh shit. He saw these. And that means he saw the one where you said you hadn't been this shaky since the day you kissed me."

"He can't possibly think that meant _now_," David reasoned.

"I never told him."

"What?" David blanched.

This was bad. This was very bad. Sam was sometimes just as insecure as Kurt was. They'd both been hurt so many times by the people they loved. Sam had been cheated on, and mocked, and he'd been made a fool of by the girls he'd chosen. But never by Kurt.

Kurt would never do that to him. And he thought Sam knew that.

But sometimes it felt like Sam couldn't believe that. Just like Kurt sometimes couldn't believe that anybody would ever put him first in life.

"David, he didn't know until that text that you'd ever kissed me at all!"


	28. Chapter 28

Sam sent off the texts and sat back on the couch at Puck's house.

Karofsky? What the fuck? He was _gay_?

His phone starting ringing. Kurt. It had to be him. Sam leaned over to where he'd dropped his phone and saw "Kurt" on the incoming call screen.

He wasn't answering that. He needed to think some.

He'd been at Puck's house until a little bit before four o'clock. He hadn't wanted to lie to Kurt about spending the afternoon with Puck. And deep down, he wanted to believe that Kurt wasn't lying to him.

Wasn't cheating on him. With fucking Karofsky?

But he'd seen the texts. He shouldn't have. He should have left Kurt's phone alone. But it had kept buzzing in class. So Sam had taken it out of Kurt's jacket to turn it off, and he had it in his hand when another text came in.

From David Karofsky.

At first, Sam was enraged at the possibility that Karofsky was stalking Kurt. And then he'd opened that last text. He was ready to shoot back a text demanding that Karofsky leave Kurt alone.

**Lima Bean 4 pm. Meet me. Please**.

As soon as he'd opened it, he realized that it wasn't a stalking kind of text. It was a friendly, we know each other well kind of text. So he'd gotten curious, and he opened the one that had come before it.

**Fuck Kurt. Need you. **

Those words were burned in his memory. That memory that he was always cursing for being too good to let him forget things he really wanted to forget.

**Can't find S. Need you to call me. **

He had no clue who "S" was, but he really hadn't cared as he read it because he was too focused on Karofsky needing Kurt and wanting to meet him. And Sam knowing nothing about it.

His eyes had begun watering when he read the one before it. This one he really didn't remember word for word, and he was sure it was because he didn't want to.

It was something about not being so shaky since the day he'd kissed Kurt.

They'd kissed. Karofsky had kissed Kurt. When had that happened? How could he? How could Kurt do that to him?

Then he scrolled and read the text about being outed. At school.

So even if the whole Karofsky kissed his boyfriend text hadn't sent the message, the outing text would have. David Karofsky was definitely gay.

And if the texts were true, he was seeing Kurt behind Sam's back. And that fucking hurt.

Then Sam had done something else he shouldn't have done. And he looked through Kurt's call logs. Just today, there had been seven missed calls from David. And then, as he looked through Kurt's phone, more showed up.

And then more.

Going back months.

Going back to before Kurt had gotten back together with Sam. So this relationship, or whatever the fuck it was, had started when Kurt was still with Blaine.

So if they were together, why was Kurt with Sam? Why didn't he go after Karofsky after he broke up with Blaine?

He'd wanted to say something when he'd meet Kurt at his locker and handed over the jacket. Kurt had looked so relieved about it, and he smiled at Sam. He'd been so close to saying, "_You have some missed calls you need to see_." He'd wanted to ask, "_Why does Karofsky have your phone number_?" And he'd really wanted to ask him why. Just why.

But he hadn't.

He'd let Kurt brush his hair out of his face and kiss him on the temple. And then he'd let Kurt's palm brush against his cheek without Sam saying a word.

And he'd left to come here with Puck. Where he now sat, and he'd watched the clock. And when it got close to four o'clock, Sam borrowed Puck's truck and headed to the Lima Bean. It had taken a few minutes to find Karofsky, but he was sitting there alone.

And noticeably upset. Which made sense if he got outed today.

Sam didn't have to worry about Karofsky seeing him, since he was sitting with his head bowed, forehead almost on the table.

Sam stepped back behind a pillar when he saw Kurt come through the door. He wasn't close enough to hear them, but he could read their body language.

Kurt had squeezed his arm. That was a normal thing for Kurt. No big deal there.

He'd watched Kurt started crying along with Karofsky. Then he'd taken the jock's hand. And that had been all Sam could stand to watch. He backed out of the coffee shop the same way he'd come in, avoiding either boy's line of sight.

And he'd gone back to Puck's. He'd sat, on the couch. Wondering what the fuck to do.

Puck kept asking what was wrong, but Sam avoided the question with "_nothings_" and "_I'm fines_".

It was like Quinn all over again, but this hurt so much worse. This felt like someone had carved a hole into his chest where his heart was supposed to be. Well, that was way too dramatic for him. Maybe he was the drama queen in this relationship, instead of Kurt.

So, he'd reached for his phone and sent off the texts that broke their date tonight.

On his fucking birthday.

The phone rang again, but Sam ignored it. Again.

Puck sent a questioning look at him, but Sam shook his head in reply. He sat back and tossed the xbox controller down onto the floor. He wasn't in the mood for Halo or Call of Duty today.

Sam's hand found its way to his chest, as if he could rub the pain away. He got up and walked over to the window.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

He'd loved Kurt for so long that he couldn't imagine a life without him. He knew that was a stupid high school drama type of response, but at the moment, he felt like his heart couldn't get any more broken. He watched out the window, and he brushed tears from his eyes.

"Look dude. What the fuck is going on?"

"Kurt's cheating on me. I _think_." Sam said quietly.

He wanted to believe he was wrong. He wanted to believe that more than anything he'd ever wanted in his life.

"That's insane. Little Dude is crazy about you. He'd never do that to you."

Puck was looking at Sam like he'd mutated or something. Like the words coming out of Sam's mouth didn't make sense.

And they didn't. The definitely didn't make sense to Sam.

"I thought so too. But I found some texts in his phone from the guy."

"Who?"

"Closet case at a different school."

Well, not a closet case anymore apparently, since he'd been outed at school.

Sam wasn't sure why he didn't just say Karofsky's name, but he thought it might be a respect for Kurt's no outing policy. How could he worry about disappointing Kurt after this? But yet, he did. So he didn't tell Puck the name.

"That's even crazier. He doesn't date closet cases. It's like his policy or something."

"Obviously not. The texts were pretty convincing. Mentioned kissing him and needing him. They were at the Lima Bean. That's where I went."

"They were there?" Puck was starting to sound convinced.

"Yes. Kurt held his hand."

"In public. At a place you go to a lot? That's ballsy. Especially if he's a closet case."

"Yeah. I know."

Sam looked back to the window and cursed inwardly when he saw Kurt's Navigator pull into the driveway.

"Shit, he's here."

"Well, what did you do?"

"I texted him that I wasn't going on our date tonight. Because of him."

"Then of course he's going to come here. Dude. Think about it. Maybe you should listen to him. He might have a good reason for all this."

"I doubt it."

"That's because you have fucking trust issues," Puck shot back.

"And you don't?" Sam challenged.

"Of course I do. And don't forget that we got those issues from the same source. Quinn."

"I haven't forgotten. But this hurts worse."

"Talk to him." Puck got up to answer the knock at the door.

"Is he still here?" Sam heard Kurt's voice at the door.

Puck nodded and stepped back to let Kurt in the house. Then he went upstairs, probably to leave the two of them alone.

Kurt spotted him and came directly to him where he stood by the window.

"It's not what you think," Kurt whispered.

Sam didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he could trust his voice. He felt Kurt's hands on his arm, felt him wrapping himself around Sam, one hand cupped under his arm and the other at the small of his back.

He was torn between shaking Kurt off and pulling him into his arms.

"I swear. I'm not cheating with him," Kurt cried, brushing his tears against Sam's shoulder. "Are you going to talk to me?"

Sam shook his head.

He knew he was being immature, but he was a few breaths away from crying, and if he opened his mouth, it would start. He removed himself from Kurt's arms and stepped away from him.

He wanted to believe him. But he didn't know if he could.

He'd always thought Kurt would be the one person in his life that would never cheat on him. But it seemed like everyone did that.

And why not? Sam wasn't worth much to anybody else. They'd all made that pretty clear time and time again.

Quinn. Santana. Mercedes. And now Kurt. Possibly. The one person he'd never imagined would do it.

The second place shit. That would always get under Sam's skin. And Kurt knew that. Because it got under Kurt's too.

Sam and Kurt were supposed to be more to each other.

"Sam, I haven't done anything wrong. David and I are just friends. That's all we've _ever _been. The only reason I didn't tell you that I was in contact with him was because he wasn't out. I don't out people. Not even to you, Sam. You know that."

"He kissed you," Sam's voice sounded broken even to his own ears.

"Last year. _Not_ this year. It was during the time he was bullying me. Before I left for Dalton. It was a crazy time for him. And for me. And it was part of why he bullied me," Kurt was nearly sobbing now.

"When? Specifically when?"

"Why?"

"I need to know."

"The day before you kissed me," Kurt whispered.

"That day you were so upset. After we'd finished doing Singing in the Rain. The day you asked me to kiss you. Was he the reason you asked?"

Sam needed to know if Kurt had used him as a distraction.

"He was part of the reason. But you _know_ how much I wanted you. You said you've known that since we met, and that was long before David kissed me. I'll admit that I wanted a real kiss, but I wanted it from you especially. One from someone that I wanted. And I _always_ want to kiss you."

"You were holding his hand." Sam brushed aside what Kurt had just confessed. He'd deal with that later.

"He'd just finished telling me that his mother said if he was gay, it meant that he had a disease and maybe he could get cured of it," Kurt replied through more tears.

"I want to believe you," Sam began.

"You can. I love _you_. I've loved you forever, Sam. I would never do what you think I've done. He doesn't even want _me_ anymore. If he even wanted me to begin with. He's got a crush on Sebastian."

"Sure."

"Sam, I was sitting there trying to get him to talk to you about being 'out' as a football player. After listening to what the football team at his school did to him, I told him that he should talk to you about things. He finally said that I could tell you that he was gay. So you two could talk," Kurt sobbed.

"Right." Sam snorted.

"Nothing I say is going to convince you, is it? You are determined to believe that I'm cheating on you, aren't you? Quinn did a fucking number on you. You want me to be guilty, so you can feel better about pushing me away."

"Don't put this off on me. I wasn't the one having coffee with him. And squeezing his arm, and holding his hand in the middle of the Lima Bean." Sam was more angry than hurt now.

No, that wasn't true. His heart felt like it was being ripped out, and his anger was at the seething level, but the hurt was definitely worse.

"I'm not putting anything off on you because there isn't anything to put off! I'm not cheating with him."

"You cheated on Blaine," Sam stared at him.

Kurt gasped. "That's not fair."

"Why isn't it?" Sam shot back.

"Because of _you_. I seem to remember you telling me something different last year. About how you felt like me being with Blaine was cheating on you," Kurt came closer, and Sam could hear his furious whispers perfectly.

Kurt stood in front of him, hands on his hips. "You remember what you told me that night? The night we had sex? You were whispering "_mine_" over and over to me while you fucked me. You said that I was yours, that I'd _always_ be yours. That me being with Blaine was betraying you. Even though you were the one who left me first. You can't have it both ways. It can't be me cheating on you with Blaine one minute and me cheating on Blaine with you the next. It doesn't work that way. It's unfair."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"I don't care if you want to talk, but you are going to listen. _I. Am. Not. Quinn_. I've always wanted _you_, and you know it. After that night, I could hardly stand to have Blaine touch me, even if it was to just hold my hand. Because I was yours."

Sam's eyes closed involuntarily at his words.

"You wanted me but you didn't want me enough to fight for me. You kept leaving me. I was ready to break up with Blaine after we had sex. But then you decided you wanted Mercedes. So who is it that couldn't decide who they wanted to be with? It certainly wasn't me."

"Kurt," Sam stared.

"No, you don't get to do this to us. Remember when you kissed me goodbye when you left for Kentucky? You told me to be _happy with Blaine_. I've been waiting for you since I met you. For you to make up your fucking mind about what you want from me. I wanted to be with you, and you know it."

Kurt brushed tears out of his eyes, but Sam could tell by their glittery determination that he was angry.

"And even after you moved. I couldn't be with him. Not completely. Because he wasn't you. You were in another state, and I had no idea if you were ever coming back, and I still couldn't give myself to him for the longest time. Because when you left, you took part of me with you."

Sam brushed a tear from his cheek as he listened to Kurt.

"I love you," Kurt finished. "And I've never in the past or the present been with David. I've always been yours."

Sam didn't answer. He wasn't sure what to say or how to say it if he did figure it out.

"Fine. Fuck this up. I am telling the truth, but you don't even want to hear the truth. You're expecting someone to treat you like shit because everybody else always has. And we went through enough. We went through so much before we figured us out. And you are going to stand there and sulk because you _want_ to believe that I cheated on you? Like you've been waiting for it to happen. So much so that you'll just jump at the chance to blame me for something that I didn't fucking do."

Kurt came closer to Sam as he spoke.

"I need time." Sam turned away from him.

"Fine. Take all the time you need. I'm going home," Kurt leaned in and whispered against Sam's arm. "I love you. I only love _you_, Sam. I just wished you trusted me enough to believe in that."

When Sam looked up at him, Kurt was already at the door, his hand on the knob.

"Maybe I could talk to Karofsky," Sam offered.

If Karofsky really was into Sebastian, then he'd know that Kurt was telling the truth. But it hurt to think that he'd need to hear it from the "_other man_" in this relationship.

"Why? So you can believe someone who's almost a stranger to you when you won't believe me, the guy you're in love with? Don't do me any favors. I'd rather you just trusted _me_. But I see that isn't going to happen. But talk to him if you want. Right now, I don't fucking care."

Sam flinched when he heard the door slam.

He stood, watching Kurt walk to his Navigator, when he heard Puck coming down the stairs.

"You fucked it up, didn't you?" Puck smirked at him.

"Shut up."

"Whatever he said that was the reason. Was it enough? Was it believable?"

"Maybe."

"Fuck maybe. Either it is or it isn't. Do you think he really loves you?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't that be enough? I mean, I have a fucked up perspective on cheating to begin with. Hell, look at me. Blaine cheated on Kurt with Sebastian, and then he cheated on me with Sebastian, and yet, I'll probably still take him back if he comes back. Because I've _been_ there. I've been _him_ in those situations. I can't really punish Blaine for something I've done myself many times. But if you love someone, you look past mistakes. But I don't think this _is_ a mistake. I really don't think Little Dude would do that to you. "

"You'd really take him back?"

"Sure," Puck shrugged. "Blaine is like an oversexed puppy. He's cute but needy. And I don't mind needy. He needs structure and lots of sex."

"And apparently a leash," Sam smirked.

"Wow. I hadn't thought of that. He might like that _too _much."

"Thanks for that unwanted visual."

"No problem. So what are you going to do?"

"I want to believe that it was a mistake. I told him I'd talk to the other guy."

"That went over well, I'm sure. Do you think you'd believe it more if it came from him? And if you did, wouldn't that be a bad thing? That you'd believe him but not Little Dude?"

"You sound like Kurt."

"He's smart. Like the fucking smartest guy in school. That's a compliment."

"What does that make me?"

"The biggest fucking idiot in school. And I go there too, so that's saying something."

"I told him I needed time." Sam turned to Puck and found him staring at him with that '_I can't believe you just did that_' expression.

"What you need it to get your ass out to my truck and go after him."

"He wouldn't listen even if I did."

"You would deserve that, you know."

"I know. Can I bunk here tonight? I don't think going back to Kurt's house is a good idea."

"Hey Dude. Whatever. Make things worse. Just don't come crying to me when he tosses you out on your ass."


	29. Chapter 29

Thirty minutes after he got home from Noah's house is when Kurt realized that Sam really wasn't coming after him. And that had hurt worse than the accusations.

Kurt sat on the couch, staring at his phone, willing Sam to call him.

But all that he'd received were texts from David. David had found Sebastian, and the Warbler had taken over responsibility for David. David texted with a smile emote and said that Sebastian had told him he was going to take good care of his bear cub.

He'd also asked Kurt if everything was okay with Sam, and Kurt texted back a simple denial.

No, things weren't okay. How could Sam believe that?

And how could he have used their relationship against him in an argument? How could he justify saying that this situation was the same as when Kurt and Sam had been together?

Sam loved him. He loved Sam. They were supposed to finally be "Kurt and Sam".

This wasn't supposed to happen. Sam was supposed to listen to Kurt, realize that he'd jumped to the wrong conclusions, and they were supposed to come back and make love tonight.

In Kurt's room. This was supposed to be the night they've been waiting weeks for.

Kurt threw himself back against the pillows on his bed and just cried. There was nothing left to do. Sam didn't believe him, and the lack of trust hurt.

Kurt was just as vulnerable about trust issues as Sam was, and he was supposed to know that. They were supposed to come to each other, talk, and work things out.

They weren't supposed to be falling apart. In separate houses. Willing each other to finally trust enough to make this work.

Carole's voice spoke from the doorway, "You okay sweetie?"

"No." Kurt didn't turn around to see her.

"What happened?" She came into the room and sat on the edge of Kurt's bed.

"Sam thinks I've been cheating on him. With a guy at another school."

"That's crazy."

"I know. But cheating is a sore spot with him, ever since Quinn."

Carole would know all about Quinn and her cheating issues. After all, she was the mother of the first person Quinn ever cheated on. The mother of the boy Quinn had tricked into thinking was the father of her child. The mother of the boy that convinced Quinn to cheat on Sam.

"I can see that."

"I'm not. I'm just friends with him. And he got outed at school. He texted me, and made references that could be taken wrong but meant nothing."

"Have you talked to him?"

"Yes, but Sam won't listen. And then he brought up Blaine, and I got mad. Then we argued about us. All the crap from last year." Kurt sat up and looked at her.

"You'll be fine."

"I don't know. He looked at me like I was a stranger to him. And I haven't done anything wrong. And he was supposed to be here tonight. It's his birthday."

"I know. Your dad told me about that." Carole hugged him and smiled. "He'll sulk about it, but he'll be back. And then you can make him pay for not believing you."

Kurt laughed. "I hope so."

And he looked at her again, and he decided that no matter what the outcome, he'd follow through on the idea he gotten earlier.

She was the best mother he could ask for since he couldn't have his own. He wished he told her that more often. After this, maybe he could and she'd still love him.

"Carole. I need to tell you something else." He walked over to his bag and got out the storage device that held the video of Finn and Schue.

"What?"

"I know you know some of the stuff that went on between me and Finn. But I found out that he has been rose-tinting his versions. And I wanted to tell you everything from my side. The things he might have left out."

"Okay. Go ahead. He and your dad aren't here right now. Perfect timing."

Kurt sat down, legs crossed in front of him, "This might take a while."

She smiled and nodded for him to start talking.

Then he told Carole everything. His entire history with Finn going back to when he first developed his crush on her son. She needed to know everything. He told her about every incident of bullying.

Every hateful word Finn had uttered to him. Every time Finn had been involved in pee balloons, lawn furniture on his roof, throwing him in the dumpster. Everything.

He watched her face fall as she listened to the unhealthy relationship that was Furt.

He told her about some of the things he'd realized in therapy. About how he felt like Finn manipulated him in so many different ways.

He told her all the ways her son had bullied Sam. And how he'd harassed Kurt at school to keep him away from anybody who might be interested in him.

He hated the way her eyes expressed how upset his story was for her. He didn't want to do anything to hurt her, but everything that Finn was doing was much worse, because he was her son.

And as much as he would love to destroy Finn for everything he'd done, he couldn't do that without also destroying Carole. And that he could never do.

"It came down to this," he held up the flash drive with the video.

"What is that?"

"Before I tell you, there is an issue from earlier today that I also need to explain. I blackmailed Finn today."

Carole gasped, and she looked disappointed in him. "Kurt! What will that accomplish?"

"I know. But I found out that he was the person putting in complaints about gay and lesbian students kissing each other in the halls. Well, he says it was him. But I think he complained on behalf of Mr. Schuester. He's angry with me and Santana for getting the Glee Club taken from him. And for her proving that he's not a capable Spanish teacher."

"You think he did this for Mr. Schuester?" Carole frowned.

"Yes. I don't have proof, but Finn was very defensive of him today. And now for this." He placed it in her hand. "On there is video of Finn leaving Mr. Schuester's house at all times of the night. Schue's on it too. I didn't take the video. But I used one like it today to get Finn to get the complaints withdrawn. But the video that was used today had Finn's face blurred out. He's pretty unrecognizable on it."

Carole sat and stared at the device in her hand.

"It's where he's been going when he doesn't come home," Kurt whispered. "I don't know what's going on, but the two of them have always had a very weird relationship. Very buddy-buddy. Too much so for a normal student-teacher relationship."

"Could this be why Rachel finally said no to him?" Carole asked quietly.

"She did?" Quinn must have gotten through to Rachel finally.

"Yes. A few days ago."

"I'm done with trying to help him, Carole. I know that he's my stepbrother, but he's done too much to me. And to Sam. But I can't just stand there and let him self-destruct. I think the only person who can save him from himself is his mother. That's why I want you to have that. Watch it. And if you have to take out Schuester for _something_, then I'll know I did the right thing by giving this to you. I don't trust that man. And Finn is too fragile right now. I think he'd do anything Schue asked him to do."

"So you can take down everybody else at that school, but not Finn?" Carole smiled, but her smile was weak and very sad.

"No. Not without hurting you too. And I can't do that."

Carole leaned forward and kissed Kurt on the cheek. "I'm not happy with the blackmail, Kurt."

"I know. I'm not either, but I really felt that nothing else would work."

"Thank you for coming to me with this." Carole got up with a very determined expression on her face. "You can stop worrying now. _I'll_ take care of Will Schuester."

"I thought you would," Kurt smiled.

"May I ask why you never told anyone what was going on with Finn? Not even your father?"

"Because Finn convinced me that I deserved everything I got," Kurt answered, as honestly as he could.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt had gone down to dinner, but he hadn't eaten anything. He'd pushed his food around on his plate until finally giving up and excusing himself from the table. He didn't say anything to either Carole or his father, and they'd come to some unspoken agreement not to ask him either.

He'd gone to his room and finished his homework. He sent off an email to his Kent State mentor/counselor about the summer visit he'd been planning.

The visit with Sam.

Sam was supposed to go too, so he could meet with his advisor for his program too.

Kurt tried to watch a movie, but he couldn't concentrate on the characters on the screen. He tried reading, but he was a failure at that too. So he wandered around his room, cleaning and rearranging things until he was tired enough to try to sleep.

He crashed at around ten, knowing that he'd probably just lay there and stare at the ceiling.

"I didn't do anything," he whispered as if Sam could hear him in the empty room.

He rolled over and grabbed his phone, but there were no missed calls and no missed text alerts either. He dropped the phone back on to the table and tried to go to sleep.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt woke up to find Sam sitting on his chair near the edge of the bed.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"Shh." Sam held a finger up to his lips and whispered, "now it's your turn to listen."

Kurt watched as he put his guitar on his lap, draping the strap over his neck and shoulder, adjusting the instrument in his hands.

He was going to sing to Kurt in the middle of the night? Kurt sat up slightly and looked at the clock.

"It's after two in the morning, Sam."

"I _said_ Shh."

He began to play, the sound slightly haunting and beautiful in the dark, and Kurt watched Sam's silhouette quietly. There was a little bit of light coming in from the moon, and it shone over Sam's features every so often, making him look more beautiful than he usually did.

"_There's nothing in my life I'd say I regret_

_But there's something in your eyes that makes me forget _

_The times that I believed _

_That love was good as love could be_

_I had it all but I was wrong."_

Sam's voice wasn't strong. He sounded just as upset as Kurt felt, and a feeling tugged inside him. Even though he was angry with him, he couldn't stand to hear Sam sound sad either.

"_Thought I'd been touched_

_Thought I'd been kissed_

_Thought I'd been loved_

_But it was nothing like this."_

Kurt got up and scooted toward Sam and sat with his legs spread. Sam pushed the chair closer, and his leg brushed up against Kurt's.

"_You can't describe the sea unless _

_You've been there before_

_It's just a mystery until _

_You're standing on the shore_

_And moved by every wave_

_Taking your breath away_

_Like you do to me"_

Kurt reached out and cupped his hand under the one Sam was using to hold the neck of the guitar. He stroked the skin there, and he could feel the muscles in Sam's arm flex as he played the chords needed for the song.

"_Thought I'd been touched_

_Thought I'd been kissed_

_Thought I'd been loved_

_But it was nothing like this"_

Kurt put his other hand on Sam's face and felt the tears on his cheek. He brushed them away with his thumb, willingly forgetting how angry he'd been at the other boy. All he wanted was his Sam back. He didn't care about making him pay for not believing him. He didn't care about holding grudges against him. He just wanted his Sam back. And he wanted his Sam to trust him. Completely.

"_It's like another life_

_Like I hadn't felt a thing_

_Until you_

_Thought I'd been touched_

_Thought I'd been kissed_

_Thought I'd been loved_

_But it was nothing, nothing like this_

_It was nothing like this_

_Nothing like, _

_Nothing like this."_

When he finished singing, Sam put the guitar down in the floor and looked at Kurt.

"Just listen," he whispered. "I'm an idiot. I'm the biggest fucking idiot in the world and I have no idea why you love me. I know you're not Quinn. And the reason I know that is because when I thought what I thought, it hurt more than I've ever been hurt before. Nothing I've ever had with anyone else comes close to what I have with you. And that's why I freaked out like I did. I know that you love me, even if I'm not sure why you put up with me."

"Sam," Kurt started to interrupt but he held up his finger.

"Hush. You had your turn," Sam laughed softly. "I'm sorry. It wasn't fair to assume something based on a few texts. Texts I never should have read in the first place, if I'd given you privacy like I should have. If I hadn't read them, then you would have brought me with you one day to talk to Karofsky, and everything would be just like you wanted it to be. I let my insecurity take over. I've been convinced so many times that I was worth nothing and that nobody would want just me, and even though I know we're not like that, those issues creep in, and I get freaked out. I believe you, and I don't need Karofsky to confirm it. I think I believed you while you were standing there blessing me out. But I was too proud to admit it then."

"I love you."

"I know that. And I love you too. The song. There's only one line that doesn't fit. The first one, about not having something that I regret. I regret that I didn't listen to you. I regret that I wasn't brave enough to just say "fuck off Quinn" and go after you when I wanted to. I regret taking so long to realize that we were meant for each other. Or at least taking so long to act on it after I realized it. Whatever." Sam smiled at him.

"Come here and sleep with me," Kurt pulled Sam towards him onto the bed. "Happy Birthday, you fucking idiot. You can sleep with me but you aren't getting birthday sex. You shouldn't have pissed me off." Kurt grinned and settled down in the bed, on his side facing Sam.

Sam laughed at him, got up, and took off his clothes quickly. He pulled a pair of Kurt's pajama bottoms out of the drawer and slipped them on. "How much wooing will I need to do for this one?"

"A lot. Don't you ever do that to me again," Kurt whispered.

"I can't promise that I won't piss you off again. And I really can't promise that my trust issues won't be a problem again. But I can promise that when I do piss you off, I'll make it up to you later."

"Deal. If I get that way, I'll make it up to you too."

Sam settled down into the pillows and faced Kurt. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"I'm sorry too. For what I said about us. Not about what happened with David."

"Was he okay?"

"Not really. He texted me after I left to come find you. Sebastian is with him. Or was I mean. Of course, I guess Sebastian _could_ still be with him right now," Kurt smirked.

"Puck says he's probably going to take Blaine back when he comes back, something about understanding cheaters because he's usually the one cheating," Sam whispered.

Stupid friends and their stupid relationships. But Kurt guessed they probably thought the same thing about Sam and him every now and then.

"Idiot."

"That's the word I've been calling myself for the past few hours."

"You believe me?" Kurt whispered back.

"Yes, I do."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Come here," Sam adjusted how he was lying so that Kurt could spoon into his arms.

Kurt settled under the blankets with him and sighed. Sam had his arm over him and the other was propped above his head. Kurt stretched out his legs, wrapping them up with Sam's and he used one hand to hold on to the arm encircling his waist.

"Comfortable?" Sam whispered in his ear.

"Yes, are you?"

"Aside from a problem I have that you aren't going to take care of, I'm fine." Sam said quietly.

Kurt snorted. "Go to sleep. You aren't getting any birthday sex remember?"

Sam kissed his ear and whispered, "It's after two in the morning. It's not my birthday anymore."


	30. Chapter 30

**Warning: Discussion about unprotected sex between monogamous adult aged partners. Not meant as an encouragement of unprotected sex in general. So don't go having it and then blaming me for bad decisions. **

**If you disagree, you disagree. And skip this chapter. If you don't, you don't. And carry on.**

**Complaints accepted by private message please. **

**However, in my opinion, putting in a discussion like this is healthier than fan-fictions that encourage orgies (not that orgies are anything to be ashamed of lol)**

***insert glare toward the Kurt in my head-canon who has frequent orgies with Sam, Dave, and Puck (and recently Sebastian lol)***

**(and no, before you ask, there are no fan fictions of **_**my **_**Kurt having the above stated orgies)**

**This chapter might be boring for you. It's relationship development though. Just saying. **

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sam woke to an otherwise empty bed, and he glanced around to see if Kurt was even still in the room. He wasn't, but there were sounds coming from his bathroom.

Sam got up, threw on the tee-shirt he'd stripped off the night before and went searching. He had to laugh at how well Kurt had evaded him last night. Even after admitting that it was well past Sam's birthday, Kurt had kept his word about making Sam suffer and wait.

Kurt was in the tub, not the shower. His eyes were closed and his head was resting on the neck of the bathtub. He was humming to himself quietly, and Sam was pretty sure that if he didn't think Sam was still sleeping, he'd be singing instead of humming.

"Hey there." Sam walked in and sat down on the floor next to the foot of the tub. He pulled his knees up and wrapped his hands around his legs.

"Hi. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, the Avatar DVD gets it," Kurt warned him without even opening his eyes.

"Not saying a word. I think baths are quite manly actually," Sam grinned.

"Hush. Did you sleep okay?"

"Wonderful. Would have been better if I hadn't been an idiot though," Sam admitted quietly.

"Forget about it, Sam. We're fine."

"Tub looks small. I'm thinking you don't have enough room in there for me," Sam glanced at the depth of the water and smiled.

"Probably not," Kurt sighed with something that sounded like regret. "I've only been in here long enough to wash my hair, so the water's still hot."

"Pity. I need to talk to you about something."

"That sounds ominous," Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Sam.

"Not really. Just serious."

"Okay. And it can't wait?"

"Not really. It's a topic that I don't want anybody else walking in on anyway. So right now is a good time." Sam shrugged.

"Okay. What is it?" Kurt asked as he ran a washcloth over his skin.

"Stop distracting me," Sam said as he peeked over the edge of the tub to watch Kurt.

Kurt grinned at him. "Pervert. What is it?"

"I had a dream last night."

"Okay," Kurt prompted.

"I dreamed that you were making love to me again," Sam watched as Kurt smiled at him. "And we didn't use a condom this time."

"Really?" Kurt's eyebrow lifted slightly.

"Yeah. It was really beautiful, you know. There were no sounds at all. Like we were trying to be really quiet or something."

He figured that had to do with his paranoia about getting attacked by Burt for taking advantage of his gorgeous son. Burt could scare him in his dreams, it seemed.

"Yeah?" Kurt smiled quietly.

"Yeah. We were in a bed with lots of pillows and blankets. There was a window that had a view of the beach. But we couldn't even hear any birds. I couldn't actually hear anything at all. I could just see you. And touch you. We could smell the ocean though."

"That sounds very romantic," Kurt looked like he was ready to jump out of the tub and have his way with Sam.

"It was. You were over me and I was on my stomach. And while you made love to me, you were using your fingers to write words on my back. Like _I love you_. Your other hand was kind of busy," Sam leered at him openly.

"I would hope so," Kurt smirked at him and splashed some water out with his foot.

Sam leaned over to avoid getting wet and laughed at him.

"It felt like honeymoon. Just like that weekend we spent at the hotel."

"Sounds wonderful to me," Kurt sighed.

"Yeah it was. Surreal too. And I realized something when I woke up."

"What?" Kurt looked up at him.

"That I've never thought about us having unprotected sex before. But I never knew how much I wanted it until I woke up from that dream."

He had serious trust issues, and he knew that.

But this. This felt right to him. He didn't know why, but he just knew it did. He just hoped he could get his point across without upsetting Kurt. Or freaking him out about it.

"That's a big step, don't you think?" Kurt asked quietly.

Sam was glad he didn't just outright refuse or call him an idiot for it.

"Yes. I think dreaming about it had something to do with my trust issues. I mean, how much more can you trust someone that to let them do that with you? You know what I mean?"

"Yes. I know. Is this something you actually want to consider?"

"Yes. But I want us to talk about it completely before we make any decisions."

If they couldn't talk about this, then they shouldn't be having sex. It was as simple as that, really.

"Makes sense. If we don't, we aren't mature enough to be sleeping together," Kurt replied as he brushed the washcloth over his shoulder.

"Exactly." Sam nodded.

"Have you been tested before? We really should have talked about this before, you know? I mean, I know we've always used condoms, but we haven't when we gave each other blow jobs. That seems kind of stupid actually. Like we didn't think that through."

Kurt stood up in the tub, and Sam's mouth went dry. Water was sliding down his chest and thighs, and Sam couldn't take his eyes off him.

This might not be the best time to start drooling over his boyfriend. Kurt starting drying off with a fluffy white towel. Sam considered offering to help, but he figured he might get carried away if he tried.

Sam nodded without taking his eyes off Kurt's body. Damn, he was gorgeous.

"Yeah. We didn't. And yes, I've been tested. In Kentucky. After Santana. Everything was negative. I know she always used condoms with guys. She might be a female version of Puck, but she's smarter than he is. She would never have sex without one. And I didn't even date anybody while I was in Kentucky so there was no chance to have sex then."

"Why not?"

"Because the man I loved was in Ohio," Sam answered quietly. "I thought about you too much to bother dating anybody."

"I missed you so much. I dreamed about you all the time. And all I did was mope."

Kurt wrapped the towel around him and stepped out onto the bathroom rug. Sam spread his legs, and Kurt dropped onto the floor in front of Sam and settled between them to finish their talk.

"I got tested too. After you. Everything was negative for me too. I know we used a condom, but…" his voice trailed off, like he didn't want to finish his thought.

"You didn't want to have sex with Blaine without being sure," Sam finished for him.

"Yeah. I wasn't sure if saying that would upset you."

"How could it upset me? That was the right thing to do. I couldn't fault you for not wanting to put someone else in that position," Sam hugged him tighter. "It would be crazy to be mad about that."

"Thank you. Are you sure you want to do this? We'll have to get tested again, together. I've only ever been with you and Blaine. But Blaine I'm not sure about. He said he wasn't cheating, but I'm pretty sure that if he did, Sebastian would make sure it was protected sex. Sebastian isn't stupid."

"I know. And I'm sure both of us will be clean. But we have to get tested first before we go any farther with this."

Kurt turned in his arms and kissed him gently. "We should probably get full physicals either way. You haven't been to a doctor since you got here, have you?"

"No, but I haven't been sick either. I don't have any insurance though," Sam sighed. He knew that Burt would probably help him pay for any medical care, but he hated to ask about it.

"I can take care of that," Kurt sat back against his chest again.

"Oh, you can? How?"

"It's simple. My dad, since he has a bunch of employees, carries a health plan for all of us. I'm an employee because I do the books part time and I have a position like a manager there. I also do part time work in the shop. So I'm on the health plan. And because my father is the man that he is, he chose a plan that has an _employee plus one_ program."

"What's that?" Sam asked quietly.

"Most family insurance plans won't allow you to put your partner on your insurance if you aren't married. And because we can't get married in Ohio, that leaves out a lot of possibilities. He chose the plan we use because it allows an employee to add one other person to their plan, regardless of the relationship to the employee. It could be a single parent with one child, who wouldn't need a full family policy. Or a gay man and his partner," Kurt replied with pride.

"That sounds just like something your dad would do." Sam grinned.

"I know. It's expensive for him, but he said it's worth it. I'm not the only one who could use it. Right now, I'm on the single employee plan, but I can just change my enrollment to the _plus one_, and I'll add you as my _one_. I'm eighteen, and a full employee, so I can add anybody I want. And because it's my own plan, it'll cover us while we're at Kent State."

"Thank you."

He was touched that Kurt would think about doing this for him.

"It doesn't help gay couples with children unfortunately, but by the time we're going to be married, we'll be in a state that allows it."

"We're going to be married?"

The idea sounded fantastic to Sam, but he hadn't realized that Kurt had done some serious thinking about it.

"Someday," Kurt turned. "I may not even wait for you to propose. I might surprise _you_ one day. I already told Rachel and Quinn I needed to marry you simply for your cooking skills."

Sam laughed and hugged him tighter. "So we are going to get tested again? Just to make sure. And then we are going to do this?"

"Can I ask you something first?" Kurt's voice was quiet and a little uneasy.

"What?"

"This isn't… this isn't because you still think I cheated and want to make sure I don't…have anything, right?" Kurt whispered his question like he didn't want Sam to actually hear it.

Sam was afraid he'd think that. He wondered how long it would take Kurt to get to that conclusion. He cuddled Kurt closer to him and kissed his ear.

"No." He replied as firmly as he could. "This isn't because I don't trust you about cheating on me. This is because I want this for us, and I trust that you _didn't_. And _won't_. Like I said, until I had that dream, I didn't even realize this was something I wanted. But I do. And only with you. I may only be eighteen years old, but you're it for me. I don't want anybody else."

"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear." Kurt turned again and kissed him. "I only want you too."

"But if something does happen between us. Don't freak out. I'm not _planning_ it. But we can't predict what will happen at KSU. Or afterwards. No matter how much we want to be together, there is always a chance that something could happen. Even if it does. We do this for us now. And if either one of us wants out, six months from now, a year from now, fifteen years from now, then we deal with it like adults, right? No sneaking around on each other and putting us into dangerous situations. We man up. Admit what's going on, and deal with it."

Sam nuzzled Kurt's neck from behind and placed a kiss on his shoulder.

"Right. We can do that. We can't predict what might happen. But right now, all I want is you. And we get tested together frequently, okay? Like every three to six months. Because we are doing this for each other. So we have to be consistent." Kurt shifted in his arms.

"Works for me."

"But we have that bucket list thing to consider. I mean, if you ever get the chance to have sex with Chris Pine, you just have to tell me ahead of time. I won't stop you." Kurt was laughing in his arms.

"How did you even know about that?" Sam had never told him that Chris Pine was one of his celebrity crushes.

"Please. I've seen you watch that movie. The only person who wanted Captain Kirk more than you was Spock." Kurt waved his hand dismissively.

"Shut up. Like you wouldn't be all over Spock." Sam smirked, even though he knew that Kurt couldn't see it from his position.

"I can't decide between Zachary Quinto and Taylor Lautner." Kurt sounded pleased by his inability to decide.

"Poor baby. So hard to make up your mind," Sam fidgeted a little. The bathroom floor wasn't the most comfortable place to have heart-to-heart talks.

"I just can't believe you would chose Kirk over Spock." Kurt laughed.

"How could you cheapen my love for Chris Pine?" Sam put his hand over his heart dramatically. "It hurts, baby. It hurts right here."

"Cheapen your love for _him_?" Kurt snorted with laughter. "Even if we weren't going to wait until we get tested, you wouldn't be getting any _again tonight_."

Sam could hear the smile in Kurt's response, even if he couldn't see his face.

"I still want to sleep with you. Just sleep." Sam whispered in his ear.

"Me too. I loved waking up in your arms." Kurt sighed and leaned into him. "We should really get up. This floor is getting cold, and I'm still not dressed."

He got up and held out his hand to pull Sam to his feet. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Kurt."

"You're sure about this? Like positively sure?" Kurt asked tentatively.

"Yes. What about you?"

"Yeah. I'm sure. I love you. Now come on, I need to get dressed."

"Can I watch?" Sam asked shamelessly.

"That would make it considerably difficult for us to maintain that whole waiting thing," Kurt's eyebrow rose slightly in Sam's general direction.

"True." Sam had to admit his man had a point. "I'm going to go behave myself downstairs. You get dressed, and try not to be so fucking sexy, okay?"

"I'll try. But really? I _am_ irresistible. There's not much I can do to hide that," Kurt smirked at him.

"Keep it up. Just keep it up Hummel."

Sam ducked out of the room before he'd be tempted to do something that would prove Kurt right.


	31. Chapter 31

**Warning: This fic disregards the suggested 3 month time period before the HIV antibody test being done. I could fast forward three months into the future for reality's sake, but that would affect the story line. **

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Hey baby. Are you ready to leave for school?" Sam pressed a kiss to Kurt's temple as he passed him on the way to the fridge.

"Yeah. I'm not looking forward to it though."

It had been a week since he'd given Carole the flash drive that had the video of Finn and Mr. Schue on it. Mr. Schue was on administrative leave, pending an investigation into his behavior. Finn had denied anything was going on between the two of them.

But the school board found the video incriminating enough to start a formal investigation. If any activity of a sexual nature was going on between them, it might not necessarily get Mr. Schue charged due to Finn's age, but it would still get him fired because Finn was his student.

Carole had gone after Mr. Schue with a vengeance, just as Kurt figured she would. According to Coach Sylvester, who of course relayed all the pertinent information on to Kurt, Carole had laid into Mr. Schue during the initial meeting.

Mr. Schue was also denying any wrongdoing. They were not going to admit to anything, which meant that formal charges would probably not be filed. But the investigation was enough to ruin Mr. Schue's teaching career.

Finn had gone into isolation. He refused to come out of his room, and he refused to talk to his mother. Burt had tried to get through to him, but he wasn't budging.

Kurt had washed his hands of the whole situation. After everything that Finn had done to him, every word of manipulation, every insult about Kurt being gay, every bullying incident. After every disgusting thing he'd done to Kurt to make him feel bad for being attracted to Sam. After all of that, Finn had entered into a creepy relationship with a male teacher. At least, that's how it appeared, and Finn refusing to talk about it only fanned the flames of suspicion.

Jacob had posted the video with the blurred out faces the very next day after he'd gotten it from Kurt. The story posted described Finn as the "clueless and previously homophobic football player" and Mr. Schue was a "former language instructor with bad bilingual skills."

Mr. Martinez had strolled down the hallway that day, making sure to point out that he wasn't a _former_ language teacher and how he sure as hell didn't have _bad_ bilingual skills. Just in case anybody got the wrong idea about him.

When Kurt and Sam had passed him in the hallway, Mr. Martinez had winked at Kurt.

Kurt was fairly sure the sexy teacher was gay, but his gaydar had been wrong before. But, Sam had begun joining in on the occasional objectifying of Mr. Martinez, so all was right in Kurt's world.

Which of course, meant that Sam was still teasing Kurt about his crush on the sexy Spanish teacher.

"I'm not looking forward to it either," Sam's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Kurt turned to face him.

"Yes."

Tomorrow was their appointment with a physician. Kurt had Sam signed up on his insurance plan, but they were paying for the testing out of pocket until his coverage began. They'd requested to talk to the physician together before being seen separately.

This doctor had been seeing Kurt for almost four years. His previous doctor had been replaced when he'd made homophobic comments to his father during one of Kurt's appointments.

This doctor was open to talking to Kurt about issues involving gay men. He didn't know if the doctor himself was gay, but he was very open and accepting, and Kurt liked him.

He'd told Karen about their plan to get tested and possibly having sex without protection. She commended him for being open about the testing and exams to make sure both of them were healthy. But she expressed concerns that they were too young to be making decisions about unprotected sex, though. And he could see where she was coming from.

He pointed out that their decision could change depending on how the testing went, even though he was fairly certain they were both clean.

He made sure to let Karen know that they were definitely still talking it through. They'd been talking about it almost non-stop since Sam had brought it up. He and Sam definitely did _not_ have a communication problem over this particular issue.

They were considering continuing with condoms after this first test, getting tested again in three to six months just to make sure the results were accurate, before even going forward with the idea.

They were definitely going to talk the subject to death before making any moves on it.

Sam had even started in on Noah about condom use. Finn had let it slip once that Noah had admitted that he never used them. He'd joked about his lack of use working ninety nine percent of the time, and his carelessness concerned both Kurt and Sam. So Sam was on a mission to drill the idea of safe sex into Noah's head.

Only to have Noah admit that he'd been tested and started using them before sleeping with Blaine.

So even if Noah never got anything else out of the relationship, he'd gotten a new respect for his own safety.

Now if they could just work on his assumption that he'd be either dead or in jail in ten years.

Kurt sighed.

Mercedes was due back from her week's suspension today. That was going to make for a comfortable experience, he was sure. She'd be pissed about her God Squad being disbanded. He was sure he'd be dealing with something involving that today.

Today was also the day New Directions was deciding on their songs for Nationals.

Regionals had gone well, although they hadn't done Michael Jackson songs thanks to the Warblers. Kurt had been irritated watching the Warblers perform, when he realized that despite their claims, they weren't doing Michael Jackson songs either.

So they'd given up MJ for nothing.

Kurt was going to piss some people off today, because for the first time, he was going to use his power as a member of the council. He'd sat back and just listened to the group decide the Regionals decisions, and he'd avoided making any suggestions.

It's not like they were going to give him a solo anyway. He'd never had a competition solo, and he'd most likely never get one.

He'd given Rachel Regionals without a fight because he wanted Nationals.

She didn't need a "Rachel Berry show" at Nationals because she'd already gotten into NYADA. A few weeks ago, she and Quinn had traveled to New York for her finals audition. She'd gotten the call the day before that she'd been accepted.

So, Kurt was getting Nationals. No, he was _taking_ Nationals.

He didn't need it for Kent State obviously. But he had his own reasons for wanting to make the decision for Nationals.

This was his senior year too. It wasn't just Rachel's.

Santana and the Troubletones, with or without Mercedes, needed a song. Or they needed a group number.

There would also be a solo ballad, which would most likely go to Rachel unless they could overrule her. And he doubted that Quinn would side with him over Rachel.

So, the solo would be hers. Unless the group could stage a rebellion.

Kurt wanted the duet. Kurt was getting the duet.

And he was doing the duet with Sam.

Sam didn't even know Kurt had been thinking about it. He wanted his boyfriend to be just as surprised as the rest of them. This would take them full circle to where he and Sam had begun. And he didn't care what songs the rest of the group chose, he was going to get his duet with Sam, and it was going to be perfect.

"Sam, come here." Kurt turned and pulled his boyfriend into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby. What brought that on though?" Sam smiled as he pulled his head back to kiss Kurt.

"Your presence near me," Kurt smiled.

"Works for me."

"Let's go."

Sam grabbed his stuff and slung Kurt's messenger bag over his shoulder, and gestured for Kurt to go ahead of him. Kurt looked back to find his adorable boyfriend with a triangle of toast sticking out of his mouth, and he smiled.

Sam was too cute for his own good.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

By the end of the day, Kurt realized that things were different at McKinley. People were still gossiping over Finn and Mr. Schue, but gossip was one thing that would never change.

The members of the football team that hadn't been involved in the attack on Sam had been approaching them all day, apologizing and making amends with Sam. Azimio hadn't come to them, but if that jock was going to make a turn towards the accepting side, he'd rather that Azimio do that with David. Not him and Sam. David needed his acceptance more.

Coach Sylvester had nodded to him in the hallway, expressing her content at having taken down Shane so completely. She was practically oozing happiness over it. But he'd also heard a rumor that Coach Sylvester was pregnant, and that could have something to do with why she was so content today.

Santana was happier with Mr. Schue gone. She and Brittany had kissed chastely in the hallway twice today, and nobody had said a word. It turned out that with Mr. Schue and the God Squad gone, there were fewer people who were actually protesting.

There was a different air in the school. Like all the negative energy had been removed and replaced with positive energy. Kurt would like to think he had something to do with that.

They wouldn't know for a few weeks whether or not they'd actually prosecute Shane, but as far as Kurt was concerned, denying him of all his scholarship opportunities was the best punishment of all.

The other boys had already been charged. There had been witnesses to the attack, so their cases were pretty open and shut.

The dynamics had changed.

Kurt no longer felt like he was under emotional or physical attack on a day to day basis.

Finn was still enrolled, but he'd been staying home from school for days. He'd heard Burt and Carole discussing what he would do about college and whether or not he'd even pass his senior year. Finn had lost motivation to do anything, it seemed.

And that wasn't Kurt's fault, he decided. Finn had, to quote a familiar expression, made his bed and now he could lie in it. Kurt was done.

They'd be graduating soon, and then he and Sam would be off to Kent State together. Quinn would be at Yale and Rachel at NYADA. Mike had gotten the dance scholarship he'd wanted, and he'd be off to that school this fall. Noah was going to be off at Ohio State with Santana. Kurt didn't know where his darling Britt was going, but she'd applied to dance schools. They only need to watch the girl move to know that she was meant to dance.

Artie, Tina and Blaine would be in charge next year. And Rory and Sugar would be there to help reconstruct New Directions after all of the seniors were gone.

Kurt walked into the Glee practice room and sat down to wait for everyone else to arrive. Tina and Mike came in hand in hand, like normal. Artie was pushed into the room by Noah, while Blaine trailed in behind him, his hand on the small of Noah's back.

Kurt guessed that Noah had taken Blaine back just like he'd said he would.

Santana and Britt came in, pinkies linked, also like normal. Sam popped into the room behind them, and he headed straight for Kurt. Sam slid into his seat and leaned over to kiss Kurt gently.

Rory and Sugar were next into the room, arms linked, while Sugar was chattering away about her father and his lack of mafia connections. She sounded almost disappointed about that.

Rachel and Quinn came in together. They seemed to be everywhere together lately.

Mercedes ducked into the room, looking like she was avoiding Kurt, and she sat on the opposite side of the room. Maybe she wouldn't hassle him at all today.

Kurt stood up and went to the center of the room.

"I would like to talk about some things today," he glanced back and forth over the faces of the members of New Directions.

Rachel stood to join him, but he waved her back down. "Sit Rachel. Co-Council or not, this is not about you, my love."

Rachel looked as if she was going to argue, but she sat back down next to Quinn.

"For some of us, this is our last chance to compete at Nationals, and I have an idea that's going to irritate some," he cast a glance at both Blaine and Rachel, "and will make others very happy."

Kurt walked over to Rachel and pulled a chair over to sit in front of her.

"I love you. You are my best friend, and that's why I feel that I can tell you this. You don't deserve a solo this time. Not at our last Nationals."

Santana cheered and Brittany began clapping randomly, possibly unsure what she was clapping about. There were squeals from Sugar and Mercedes, and he heard various phrases of agreement from other members of the Glee Club.

Rachel began to protest, but he held out his hand.

"Stop. You've have a solo at every competition other than the one when you were suspended and not allowed to attend. And before you point out that we need you, if you remember, we won that competition even though you did not perform. Plus, I seem to remember a certain Nationals competition we placed twelfth at because our featured duet performers sucked face during the song."

Rachel opened her mouth to argue, but Quinn leaned over, "Just listen. He does have a point."

Kurt cleared his throat at Rachel to get her attention back.

"You're already in NYADA, so you can't use the '_I must have a solo to put on my resume for NYADA'_ excuse. You've had your time in the spotlight. Multiple times. You've also monopolized nearly every duet we've had in competition. You're done. It's never been fair to everyone else in this room, and Schuester never let it be fair. And this is their last chance. So I'm asking you to step back and let it go. I'm asking as a friend who cares for other people in this room as well. They need time to shine too."

Rachel looked like she wanted to argue back, but Quinn nudged her.

"Okay. I won't request the solo," Rachel whispered.

"Thank you. And before you start up," Kurt turned to Blaine, "I don't think you should get one either. I know you had your heart on singing Cough Syrup, but if we vote on it, I'm voting no."

Blaine looked upset, but he didn't argue. Maybe he figured it would sound petty if he argued since Rachel wasn't.

Kurt turned and looked at the rest of the group. "I want only seniors to sing lead this time. We can divide up the parts so that everybody has a somewhat equal shot at lead."

He watched as the seniors in the group nodded and looked back and forth between each other. He cast a glance at Artie, and his friend didn't look upset. He'd had opportunities to shine too, so Kurt hoped he'd be in agreement.

"I would like to make a special request of Mike and Britt. If you want to sing, I'll support you, but I would like you two to feature your dancing again. It's brilliant, and it would give you exposure for your dance schools."

Britt jumped up and hugged Kurt against her. "I'd love to Dolphin. I'm fine with not singing if I get to dance."

Mike stood and shook Kurt's hand. "Same here. I'd much rather dance."

Kurt nodded, pleased with how this was going so far. "We must have a number featuring the Troubletones. _All_ of them," he glanced in the direction of where Mercedes sat. "No matter what's happened over the past few months. I'll leave it up to Santana and Mercedes to decide song choice and who will lead."

Santana nodded but glared at Mercedes.

Honestly, he'd rather Mercedes not sing at all. But he wasn't going to cause more resentment and anger between the group members. And he certainly wasn't going to use his power on the council to forbid that she get the spotlight. She'd served her suspension, and she hadn't been banned from competing so there was nothing more that Kurt could do that wouldn't look petty.

And honestly, Santana and Mercedes were the heart of The Troubletones.

Mercedes stood up and looked at Kurt. "I'm giving the Troubletones solo to Santana. She rocked Valerie, and she deserves the chance to sing again. After everything that's happened to members of the New Directions, things that I got involved in and shouldn't have, I'd rather not cause more tension. I'll take a back-up spot to Santana."

She sat down, and Santana sat looking at her, obviously surprised. Kurt nodded to Mercedes and continued.

"Okay, so our Troubletones number will feature a Santana ballad, with the rest of the girls doing back up and dancing. That's one number. You girls can pick what song you do."

Santana nodded and leaned up against Britt, whispering in her ear.

"Okay, for the group number, I'd like Noah to take the lead."

Noah's head jerked up in surprise.

"You can't think it's that shocking, Noah." Kurt smirked at him. "Your Sweet Caroline was wonderful, and your voice is beautiful. I'd like to add in backups for Rachel and Quinn. Or maybe a set up like we did for ABC. Tina was amazing, and she had primary lead. I'd like Noah to have primary lead and we work around him. However you want to do it. That's my choice for the full group number. I don't mind adding the juniors in during that number. Adding lines for Blaine and Artie and Tina. But the focus must be on Noah for that one. If you all agree."

Noah nodded silently.

The rest of the group agreed, some reaching over to pat Noah on the back and shoulders in congratulations.

"I don't get it. What about you?" Blaine asked, clearly confused. "Why aren't you asking to get a solo, Kurt? You've never had a solo in competition before."

Kurt had to laugh at Blaine being the one to point that out, since Blaine was partially responsible for Kurt never getting any solos in competition.

"I don't want a solo. I want the duet." Kurt stood, hands on his hips. "No arguments about it." He sent a challenging look to all the other members of New Directions, daring them to argue that he didn't deserve the duet.

No one responded to him. Nearly everybody in this room knew what had happened between Kurt and Sam back during the duet competition.

He walked over to Sam, and his boyfriend was grinning.

Kurt pulled another chair over so he could sit directly in front of Sam.

"I'm _not_ setting you free this time. You're _not_ allowed to do a duet with someone else that the world deems more appropriate because you've _never_ done anything to offend me. It's _always_ been you for me. And I want to do my duet with the person in the room who means the most to me. The person who taught me that being honorable can sometimes go wrong if it happens at the wrong time. I need to sing with someone who matches my passion. Someone who taught me that just because you're different, or special, that doesn't always mean you have to get used to being alone."

Sam was crying, and Kurt reached out a hand to brush the tears from his cheek. Sam nodded an agreement to everything Kurt was saying. Kurt would bet that if Sam opened his mouth to speak, he'd be too choked up to form words.

"Sam, I want to sing with _you_. I just want to sing with you."

"Okay," Sam agreed quietly. "I'll sing with you on one condition."

Kurt smiled at the serious look on his boyfriend's face. "What?"

Sam looked around and smirked at the rest of the group. "For his ears only, you guys." He dipped his head to Kurt's ear and whispered.

"Very soon, you let me go all Shawshank on you in the shower."

Kurt threw his head back and laughed. "It's a deal."


	32. Chapter 32

**Good warning: I've put my babies through enough angst. So it's all good from here to Nationals. There may be some ends tied up between now and then. But Kum/Hevans will be solid from here on out. :)**

**Warning: Kind of Fluffy smut. If that is its own category.**

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Well that was singularly the most humiliating, embarrassing and uncomfortable experience of my life," Sam muttered on the way back to Kurt's Navigator.

"Good to know," Kurt grinned as he unlocked the doors. "I admit. It was uncomfortable telling my doctor all of that. I've known him for four years, but geez. He has a glare like Dad's."

"Don't think I didn't notice him look at me when you brought up the unprotected sex thing." Sam opened the car door and climbed inside.

That had been awful. He'd looked at Sam like he was corrupting Kurt. Well, in fairness to the man, he was kind of corrupting his boyfriend, but there was no need to be hostile about it. Sam loved him. Kurt loved Sam. They were definitely allowed to corrupt each other at any and all opportunity.

"Well, it _was_ your idea," Kurt replied.

"You didn't have to tell him it was my idea, you know."

"And have him look at me like that? I don't think so." Kurt replied sweetly.

"I love you too. So we get some results back soon and some in about a week. Maybe longer. So much for a very soon Shawshank role play session."

"You're so cute when you're sexually frustrated," Kurt blew him a kiss from across the car, but that wasn't really helping at the moment.

"How are you not frustrated? This is killing me."

He'd gone to bed the night before and had dreamed about having sex in the shower. It had been steamy, as all shower sex would automatically be, he assumed. They'd taken turns fucking each other, and Sam had woken up sticky and completely unsatisfied.

"Sweetie, you have been _helping yourself_ right?" Kurt wiggled his eyebrows.

Sam snorted. "_Helping myself_? What? Masturbating too hot a word for you to say?"

"Maybe." Kurt smacked his shoulder.

"Masturbating makes me think of you. And I want _you_. Not my fucking hand." Sam shot back.

This was making him crazy. Yet, he only had himself to blame for their decision to wait. If he wanted them to have unprotected sex, they needed to make sure both of them were safe before doing so. So he'd make his proverbial bed. And he'd fucking lie in it alone.

Depressed and perpetually hard.

"Aww. How about if it was my hand next time? Would that help?" Kurt smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

"Yes. It would. When will next time be?"

Right now would be good. He'd settle for right now. But he didn't think Kurt would take too kindly to that suggestion.

"I have no idea. Ask your cock. It knows when it needs attention," Kurt smirked at him.

Sam snorted again, and pulled Kurt across the seat. His boyfriend had turned into such a fucking tease since they'd decided to wait for their testing results. "That makes how many things I owe you payback for now?"

"I've lost count. It doesn't matter anyway because you never get revenge. You'll get all turned on and start making love to me. You're a sucker for me, and you know it."

"Oh yea, I'm definitely a sucker for you. Unfortunately, that is on hold for a while." Sam sighed dramatically.

"When did you get so perverted? Is it just the frustration? I don't remember you being this perverted before." Kurt glanced at him and turned up the radio station.

"You don't _remember_ my perversions? We've seriously been without sex for too long then."

"I didn't mean it like that. Some people are _so_ touchy," he mocked.

"What was that from? I know that line." Sam looked at Kurt with interest.

"It's from Grease. Rizzo."

"You and your fucking Rizzo," Sam muttered.

"Rizzo is the best and you know it. You can't still be upset that I sang that you sounded like a drag?"

"Maybe."

That song pissed him off. It didn't matter that he'd been singing about Mercedes over on the other side of the school. Once he'd seen that video, and heard Kurt sing that line, all he could think of was finding Kurt and showing him exactly who _wasn't _a drag.

"I cannot believe this. It was a song! And you should be glad I got that line because it got you pissed enough to come after me. So that means it's what brought us back together!" Kurt was gesturing with one hand while he steered with the other.

"True. But I'm _not_ a drag."

"No, because Rizzo was talking about Danny. And you aren't my Danny. You are my Kenickie."

"That's the guy with the cool car right?"

"Yes, baby. You are the proud owner of my Greased Lightning," Kurt howled with laughter.

"That was uncalled for," Sam said, grinning to despite himself.

"Oh my god! And remember that night you gave me all those hickeys?"

"Yeah," Sam smiled.

That was a good night. A very good night. He'd like to have that kind of night again. Soon.

"_A hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card. You care enough to send the very best_," Kurt quoted.

Sam laughed at the depth of this ridiculous conversation. But he loved every minute of it. He loved every minute he ever got to spend with Kurt.

"You're crazy."

"Sam, you are totally the Kenickie to my Rizzo. Oh my god! They had unprotected sex too! That's hilarious! I just remembered that."

"No jokes about knocking you up, okay." Sam laughed.

"Deal. But you know what I'm going to ask you the next time you have that little problem you've been complaining about?

"What?" He was pretty sure he didn't really want to know. But he asked anyway. Because that's just how it was between them.

"_Where are you goin'? To flog your log?_"

Then Kurt laughed even harder, if that was possible.

"Shut up." Sam laughed along with him. "It'll be you flogging my log next time."

"_With relish_," Kurt quoted again.

Kurt was way too familiar with the dialogue of this movie, Sam decided. He was way too fucking cute too.

"I love you," Sam smiled at him.

"I love you, too."

Kurt turned down a road that led away from the Hummel house, and he followed it for about five miles. He pulled into an area full of trees and pretty much nothing else. Sam looked around when they parked and saw nobody in the vicinity. Not even houses.

"Where are we?"

"A deserted spot with no houses nearby, and nobody around to hear you scream." Kurt grinned.

"That sounds either really ominous or really hot. I can't decide which."

He was leaning towards hot at the moment.

"That's because your desire to get your log flogged currently outvotes your instinct for survival." Kurt replied and opened the door to the Navigator.

The he climbed into the backseat and shut the door. "You _coming_ back here or not?" Kurt smirked at him and beckoned him with a finger.

"Oh, yeah, I'm _coming_."

Sam bolted out of the car and heard Kurt's laugh as the passenger door slammed shut. He opened the back door and nearly dove on to Kurt.

"Hey there." Kurt pulled him into a deep kiss and began stroking his back idly.

He loved Kurt's touch. He could be happy every day for the rest of his life if Kurt would just touch him.

Sam sat in the seat and pulled Kurt over onto him. Kurt straddled his lap and buried his hands into Sam's hair, and smashed their mouths together. Kurt dove his tongue into Sam's mouth and Sam groaned in response. Kurt was nearly devouring him, and Sam did not mind that at all. Sam was usually the more aggressive one in their relationship, but sometimes Kurt just lost control with him.

And Sam loved every minute of it.

"Love you," Sam muttered against Kurt's mouth before tangling his tongue with his.

He allowed his hands to wander all over his boyfriend, stroking his back, his thighs, his shoulders, his ass. Every inch he could get his hands on, even if Kurt was fully clothed.

"Love you too," Kurt kissed him again and sat back slightly.

His hands dropped to Sam's jeans, and he unfastened them quickly, expertly.

Why is it that when Sam tried to undress Kurt, he fumbled and ripped things, but Kurt could peel off Sam's clothes like he exerted no effort at all? He wasn't complaining, but damn.

Kurt unzipped Sam's jeans and pulled them down slightly, urging Sam to lift his ass to accommodate his seated position. Sam complied and Kurt pulled them down, along with his boxers, just far enough to get Sam's cock free.

Kurt leaned over to whisper, "I want you in my mouth. But I know we have to wait for that. So I want you to close your eyes. Lean back. And let me make you come."

"Okay, I can do that," Sam agreed.

He'd agree to any fucking thing Kurt wanted if he'd just keep talking to him like that.

"Stay right there. Forgot something." Kurt turned and stretched over the passenger seat and grabbed his messenger bag.

He dug out the lube that he apparently carried with him and held it up in celebration.

"You keep that in your bag? At school?"

"With you as a boyfriend, yes." Kurt smirked. "You tend to get carried away sometimes."

Sam nodded in agreement and relaxed again. It was true. Of course, they hadn't done anything since they'd agreed to wait. But now that Sam knew Kurt kept lube with him all fucking day, it would make waiting much more difficult for him.

Kurt lubed his hands and slid them back and forth together. Sam watched, the sight of Kurt's excitement almost enough to make him come before those talented hands ever made it to his cock.

Kurt smirked at him, and then he fidgeted, adjusting the fit of his own jeans.

"Ha. You're having the same problem I am I see."

"Shh. I need to concentrate," he nudged at Sam's legs. "Sit this way so I have more room."

He motioned for Sam to turn so that his back was against the passenger door, and he complied. He let one leg drop onto the floor while the other was pinned against the seat by Kurt's body.

Kurt scooted back, and moved Sam's shirt out of the way. He pushed it up the length of Sam's stomach slightly, and he brushed his fingers over Sam's abs as he moved.

"God," Sam whispered.

Sam closed his eyes again when he felt the tips of Kurt's fingers brush over the tip of his cock. It twitched violently, and Sam moaned again.

"I'm not going to last long if you keep teasing," Sam muttered.

Kurt smirked and shushed him again. Kurt took Sam's cock into his palms and slid them up and down the shaft. His fingers were noticeably absent from the experienced, and Sam moaned in slight disagreement with that idea. Kurt palmed his cock with one hand, and a rapid twisting motion had Sam coming up off the seat.

"Fuck. Wha- as thaaa?"

He wasn't sure what he'd asked, or if he really cared. He'd just be happy if Kurt did that again.

"I can't translate that, baby. But I'm guessing you want that again?" Kurt leaned up and whispered into his ear.

Then he twisted again, sharply, tugging and applying delicious pressure simultaneously. And then he repeated the motion. Again. And again.

"Ooohh…fuuuck."

The fingers of one hand went under to cup his balls, while the other worked up and down, squeezing gently and sliding his fingers over at the top of each thrust.

Sam pushed into Kurt's fist twice, and then he came all over Kurt's hand. Kurt continued pumping through Sam's orgasm, and Sam slumped against the door.

"That was fucking amazing," Sam whispered. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kurt leaned up and kissed him. With his clean hand, he dug some moist towelettes out of his bag, and he used them to clean both of them up.

"I knew those were useful for something besides cleaning slushie off." Sam grinned. "Do I get a turn now?"

"Umm. That's not exactly necessary." Kurt pointed to the crotch of his very tight jeans, where there was a noticeable darkened patch.

"Oops." Sam grinned.

"Yeah…oops is right. It was the _oooh fuuuck_ that did it." He repeated Sam's words like a porn star.

"I wasn't that bad." Sam grinned, pulling up his boxers and jeans so that he could fasten them.

"Yes, you were." Kurt smirked as he wiped his hands. "I didn't think this whole _lubed hands that I need to eventually drive with_ thing through."

"Want me to drive?" Sam grabbed Kurt's right hand and kissed his palm.

"That might be a good idea."

Sam opened the back door and went around to get into the driver's seat, snatching the keys from where they'd fallen. Kurt followed him out the door, and he shifted his hip to close the back door.

Kurt tried twice to open the passenger side door, but his hand kept sliding off the handle. Sam watched as he muttered in frustration before collapsing into uncontrolled giggles.

Kurt leaned his forehead against the window, and mouthed, "Help me."

Sam leaned over to open the door but the sight of Kurt's forehead pressed against the window, his face and body overcome with laughter, was too much for Sam.

He cracked up, and he laughed until his eyes watered.

He opened the door from the inside, and pushed it open slightly.

Kurt nudged the door with his shoulder, and it finally opened for him to scramble inside.

"I thought for a minute you were going to leave me out there." Kurt replied between giggles.

"I considered it. Then I pictured you wandering down the road, asking strangers for rides, but then being unable to get their doors open either. And because you're you, you'd never tell them _why_ you couldn't open the door." Sam leaned his head back and laughed uncontrollably.

"That would have been awkward," Kurt admitted. "I'm sorry sir. Could you open your passenger side door? I just gave my boyfriend a hand job, and I have so much lube on my hands that I can't operate heavy machinery."

Sam roared with laughter. "That would be priceless to see."

"My fingers kept sliding off the grip of the handle. I tried tugging on it. But it wouldn't cooperate."

"That sounds like a technical difficulty that lube should fix rather than make more difficult." Sam pointed out knowingly.

"Shut up," Kurt smirked at him. "You are so lucky I adore you."

"I know."

"Start driving, Trouty." Kurt leaned over and kissed him quickly before buckling himself into the seat.

Sam started the car and backed out into the clearing before turning to head back to the road they came in on.

"Well, I just discovered another positive about this situation." Sam heard the smirk in Kurt's expression, even if he couldn't see his face.

"What baby?" Sam glanced in the side mirror as he changed lanes.

"I have enough lube on my hands to _help myself_ while you're driving, and since you _are_ driving, you can't even _watch_."


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N Shorter chapter than usual. Next one will make up for it I hope.**

**Thank you to everybody who has hung in there with me over this. I appreciate all the favorites, the author alerts, and the reviews/story alerts. **

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Sam, our choreography does not include groping," Kurt frowned at him with obvious frustration.

He crossed over to the piano and turned off the music. He spun around, hands on his hips, and he glared at Sam in aggravation.

Sam couldn't help it if he wanted to get his hands on Kurt. He shouldn't have worn those jeans.

"It should."

Sam grabbed for his boyfriend again, but Kurt twirled and outmaneuvered him. Again.

They'd been working on this routine for two weeks. And they weren't any closer to being done because the sight of Kurt's hips distracted him too badly. He wanted Kurt. Now.

"No, it shouldn't."

"Why not?" He pulled out the Trouty Pout. But nothing.

Why wasn't Kurt as frustrated as he was all the time? It was aggravating. They'd gotten their final test result back and everything. Everything. Was negative. For both of them.

It wasn't a surprise to him, but he couldn't deny that he'd sighed with relief when he and Kurt had talked about it. There was always that chance, he figured. No matter how good they'd been. No matter how careful. The chance was always there. He hadn't realized how it had been in the back of his mind until the doctor went over all the final results with him.

After the appointment, that they'd missed part of school for, they'd gone back to Glee practice and worked on their routine for hours.

After Glee practice, they'd had dinner with Burt and Carole. Then Burt had put him to work at the shop for a few hours. Burt and Carole were leaving to take Finn back up the hospital, and he'd wanted to get some stuff straightened out at the shop before leaving.

And part of Sam believed that Burt was trying to keep Sam from Kurt. Kurt had told him about their testing situation but not about their possible unprotected sex decision. Burt had told them he was proud of them for getting tested, but that glare had been trained on Sam for hours. He expected to get brow-beaten into a confession that he'd tainted Kurt. But it hadn't been that.

Burt had just worked him to death. That was all.

Then when Sam got back from the shop, he'd been so tired that he fell asleep in the guest room, well _his_ room, and hadn't woken up to sneak into Kurt's room.

Kurt hadn't woken him up either. He'd said that Sam had looked exhausted, and Kurt had told him that they had all the time in the world for sex.

Sam had crashed hard, and he'd slept until time for school this morning.

So he'd screwed up the first night they could have had sex by falling asleep. And now Kurt wouldn't fool around with him at school.

He wanted his boyfriend. Now. And Kurt was not cooperating.

"Because the judges at Nationals frowned on a hetero couple kissing on stage." Kurt kissed him, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"So?"

"You really think they'd be fine with a gay couple groping each other mid song?"

"Who cares what they think?" Sam put his hands on Kurt's hips and pulled, shoving their bodies together.

"I do."

"I don't."

"That's quite obvious."

Sam dropped his mouth to Kurt's neck and started sucking, his hands finding their way to Kurt's ass and squeezing gently.

"What are you doing, Samuel Evans?"

"You're getting a hickey from Kenickie. Now hush Riz."

Geez. All he wanted was to get his mack on, to quote his favorite lesbian, and his boyfriend was not cooperating at all.

"Stop," Kurt laughed at the new nickname. "And get your hand out of the back of my pants."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's stuck. Your jeans are too tight," he lied.

"Right now, you remind me of Johnny from Dirty Dancing. You know the scene where Baby can't get him to concentrate on dancing because all he wants to do is feel her up?"

Kurt looked at him, clearly amused at the picture he'd conjured of Sam as Johnny Castle. Then he reached back and pried Sam's errant hand out of the back of his pants.

Sam snorted. "Yes."

"And I'd like to know how I always end up being the girl in movie comparisons. First Rizzo. Then Baby."

"Well, I do call you baby, so that kind of works. But believe me. I know you're not a girl. And I'm very glad you aren't." Sam's eyebrow quirked suggestively.

Nothing. Damn, Kurt was unflappable today.

"I dislike that you make me think of Johnny Castle actually. Since you did that duet with She Who Must Not Be Named."

Sam snorted. "She's not that bad. She's hardly wizarding world domination level of evil."

"She hurt you. Therefore she's not my favorite person. But I must admit. She's friendlier now that she and Rachel are spending so much time together."

"Rachel's not as whiny either. It's like Quinn mellows her out." Sam agreed.

"You don't think?" Kurt asked him.

"Who knows?" Sam shrugged. "Quinn has good gaydar. She knew I was bi or gay or something. I never hid that I wanted you. Remember when that rumor went around that we slept together?"

"Honey, that wasn't a rumor remember?" Kurt smirked and kissed him.

"You know what I mean. _They_ thought it was a rumor. She told me that the group got together at the Lima Bean, minus you and me. They were discussing whether or not we were together, and she told them that you'd never cheat on Blaine. And before you get riled up, that's not the point," Sam pointed at him before he could react.

They were not going to argue about who got cheated on with whom. Kurt was with Sam now. And that was how it was going to stay.

"Go on," Kurt smiled.

"She told them that she didn't want to get into the discussion but she told them that I wasn't gay. She didn't explain it any further. But she also didn't know that I'd been all over you that night either."

"Yes, you were," Kurt groaned.

"See. You want this."

He thought back to the night he and Kurt had made love for the first time. It had been awkward and painful for Kurt, but it had been beautiful too. And Sam had made up for Kurt's pain in so many different ways.

"Sam, we are in school." Kurt's whined as his head tilted back slightly.

Perfect. More hickeys.

Sam dipped his head to suck on Kurt's neck and backed him up across the room. "I know."

"Where are you taking me?" Kurt gasped when Sam bit the skin just under his ear.

"To the corner baby."

"Why?"

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner, remember?" Sam backed him into the corner of the room and planted both arms on either side, trapping him.

Kurt laughed and squirmed in his embrace. "That's horrible."

"I know. I'm thinking with my cock here. Give me a break." Sam licked his throat slowly, and he grinned when Kurt moaned. "I want you. Now," Sam demanded quietly in Kurt's ear.

"We are in the choir room, Sam. They're going to be here any minute." Kurt's hands threaded into Sam's hair and he moaned again. "We're going to get caught."

"Sam, get off him." Santana shouted as she entered the room, followed by Sugar, Britt and Mercedes.

Sam sighed, sinking against Kurt in frustration.

"If you hadn't been fighting me off so much, we could have gotten a lot done before Satan got here." Sam accused.

"Baby, I told you we couldn't." Kurt kissed him and maneuvered out of the corner.

Sam leaned his head against the wall and sighed. "This sucks."

"I know. I promised Satan I'd help the Troubletones, and it's time for them to practice their routine. Maybe they'll get more done than we did. We'll play later. I promise," Kurt whispered. "Come here. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Aren't you supposed to go meet David and Noah?"

"Yeah. I'd rather go home with you, though," Sam knew he was whining. But he really didn't care.

"I have to go meet Dad and Carole. They have to get Finn up there by seven."

Finn had requested to go back up to the facility that he'd been in right after the suicide threat. He was asking for help this time, and Sam knew that he needed to be supportive of the family.

"Text me when you're free. I promised the guys we'd hang out." Sam kissed him. "But I want to be with you. Tonight."

"We will," Kurt smiled and kissed him again. "I'm all yours tonight."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"How are things going with Sebastian, David?" Puck grinned and threw David a soda.

David smiled shyly and shrugged. "Pretty good. He's sweet when you get to know him."

Puck and Sam shared disbelieving looks, but David shrugged again.

"Well, I can't say much because I don't know him that well. And the information I do have is kind of one-sided since it comes from Blaine," Puck popped open his own soda and tossed an xbox controller at David.

"I'm staying out of this," Sam laughed and grabbed Puck's extra controller. "We have too many interconnected boyfriends. Let's just play."

David and Puck looked as if they'd just realized how all the boyfriends were connected.

"Fuck. It's like one of my mom's soaps. You're sleeping with the guy that my boyfriend used to sleep with. And David's sleeping with the guy that my boyfriend used to sleep with. Wait a minute." Puck stopped, apparently not liking the connections his brain was making. "Nevermind."

David and Sam just laughed and went back to shooting each other.

"Is it any better at your school, David?" Puck asked about twenty minutes into the game.

"Kind of. The football coach went after the ones that sprayed FAG on my locker. And they instated a no-bullying policy, sort of like the one at Dalton. Sebastian's dad has connections, and he and my dad went to bat for me there. It's not perfect, but it's getting better."

"That's awesome. I'm kind of surprised you didn't transfer to Dalton," Sam grabbed a handful of chips from the bag on the table.

"Seb wanted me to, but I didn't want to make my dad pay for all that. My mom wouldn't have helped him with it. And he's all I've got family-wise."

"Dude, we're totally your family." Puck punched him on the shoulder. "All of us. A fucked up and incestuous family. But we're family."

David's eyes widened. "Dude, I didn't even know you knew a word that big. Incestuous. Plus, you used it correctly."

"I'm not an idiot you know." Puck rolled his eyes and tossed a couch pillow at David's head.

"He's right though, David. We're your family too. No matter where any of us end up, we'll keep in touch. Kurt and I are heading for New York after Kent State. Puck is heading to OSU, and we'll see where Blaine ends up next year. What about you and Sebastian?"

"Sebastian will be at Harvard."

Puck whistled an appreciation.

"Yeah, I'm going to NYU though. I got a hockey scholarship."

"That's awesome!" Sam fist bumped him.

"I was kind of surprised," David took a drink of his soda and resumed knifing Puck in the game.

"You asshole," Puck smirked as he respawned and came back into the fight.

"Stop getting distracted." David laughed and went sniping again. "Where are you Evans?"

"I'm camping. Waiting on you two morons to find each other so I can take both of you out."

"Speaking of moron, how's Finn doing?" Puck looked at Sam.

"He's going back up to the hospital tonight. He requested another inpatient stay. He's asking for help this time. That thing with Schue, whatever it was, really fucked him over. And he wasn't alright to begin with."

"I don't know what happened to him. We used to be best friends. He went off on me when I started dating Blaine. I mean, I know he's always been kind of weird about that. But he really went off."

"I can imagine," Sam decided that there was really nothing else to say.

Finn had done too much to both him and Kurt for there to ever be any repairing of their relationships. He felt worse for Kurt, since they were now connected for life as step-brothers.

"You and Kurt get your duet all choreographed yet?" Puck went down again, and David cackled from the chair on the other side of the table.

"Nope. Been too busy trying to get into his pants during rehearsals." Sam scanned the area for Puck's respawn, ready to take him out again where he stood.

"Sweet. Too many people there for me and Blaine to get busy. Since I got the group number."

"I keep messing up all my moves because Kurt keeps… doing something to distract me."

"Why do I need to hear all this?" David groaned.

"Helping you get adjusted?" Puck smirked.

"I'm already adjusted. Seb adjusted me just fine," David smirked at them.

"Not that kind of adjusting, you perv." Puck grinned.

"I'm the perv?" David's voice rose.

"We're all pervs. Just own it." Sam smiled.

Sam's phone buzzed with an incoming text, and he pulled it out to read. He jumped to his feet and dropped the controller onto the couch.

"Umm, Puck. I gotta bail. Can I get a ride home?"

He looked down and read the text again and smiled.

**From Riz: Shawshank Redemption has begun. My shower. Now. Warden, Mrs. Warden and Prison Guard are gone for the night. **


	34. Chapter 34

**Warning: If you read the last chapter, then you are well aware of the Shawshanking that is about to occur. Translation is that there is a smutty shower scene. Most likely poorly written. But you'll survive reading it I'm sure. **

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt grinned when he put down his cell phone. If that message didn't get Sam here quickly, he didn't know what would.

He'd been working on this for the past thirty minutes. Since the rest of the family had driven off with Finn. Their Shawshank role play may be starting out in the shower, but Kurt was planning on Sam never getting out of his bedroom for anything other than sustenance.

He pulled out the new pajamas he'd bought Sam and laid them on the counter in the bathroom. For later. He put his own on top of them, and he grinned. He didn't include underwear, because as far as he was concerned, they weren't going to need any.

He had his iHome set up and ready to play. He'd downloaded music that he thought Sam would appreciate.

New candles were on display all over the room, but they weren't lit yet.

Kurt was almost completely undressed. He was just waiting for Sam to get home before he ducked into the shower to wait for him.

He had even more surprises for his gorgeous boyfriend. If he'd just get his cute ass here.

Kurt paced back and forth for the ten minutes that felt like forty.

When he heard the door of Noah's truck slam, he peeked out and laughed when he saw Sam bolting for the front door.

Kurt ducked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. As it heated up, he slipped off the rest of his clothes and got under the spray. It wasn't hot enough yet, but it would work for now.

He giggled when he heard his bedroom door shut loudly. He waited patiently for Sam to come into the bathroom. He figured his boyfriend would stop and strip in the bedroom first.

Kurt leaned back against the back wall of the shower, hands behind his back, and waited. He saw Sam's silhouette on the other side of the steamed up door. Sam opened the door quickly and ducked inside.

"Hi," Kurt grinned. "Come here often?"

Sam laughed and hovered over him. "Not enough obviously." He ducked his head under the spray and grinned. "Although if you were in here all the time, I would."

"Good to know. I've missed you so much."

Kurt reached out to touch Sam's chest, and he swirled his palm over the muscles. He slid one hand under Sam's arm and around his waist, pulling him against him. The other hand found its way to Sam's cheek, and then into his wet hair. He slicked back Sam's hair and pulled him in for a kiss.

Sam groaned, and Kurt smirked against his mouth.

Kurt dipped his head to Sam's throat, and tasted his delicious skin. He was sweaty from rushing to get back home, and his skin was still a little salty.

Kurt let his hands roam down Sam's back, caressing his shoulders, and his feathered his fingers over Sam's spine.

"I love touching you." Kurt whispered in Sam's ear. "You are so beautiful."

Sam let his head fall back, and Kurt licked a stripe up the line of his throat, up to his chin.

"Baby," Sam moaned, and Kurt smiled at the guttural sound of it. It sent a shock of pleasure through Kurt.

"Yes, Johnny?"

Kurt grinned and slid his hands back up Sam's torso and over his shoulders. Then he skimmed over Sam's nipples and over his perfect abs.

Sam's laugh was seductive. He moaned and grabbed Kurt's hips, pulling him closer and grinding against him. Sam nudged one knee between Kurt's thighs, and he pulled Kurt up slightly, forcing him to rely on Sam's thigh to keep him from falling over.

"I want you." Sam moaned into Kurt's ear.

"You can have me," Kurt agreed and wrapped his arms around Sam's neck as he pulled him into another kiss.

Sam turned Kurt so that his back was facing the spray, and he dropped down onto his knees in front of Kurt. "I believe I owe you this. And a hand job."

Kurt put one hand on the side of Sam's face and the other he used to lean against the wall. Sam's blowjobs tended to make him lose all ability to walk or command his legs in anyway, so he'd need the extra support to keep from falling.

Sam's touch was gentle and soft. He palmed Kurt's erection and pumped up and down a few times. He dipped his head and Kurt watched as his tongue darted out and swirled around the tip. Kurt felt his legs weaken, and he smiled down at Sam.

Sam grinned up as if there was no other place in the world he'd rather be.

"I love you," he said loud enough for Sam to hear over the spray, which had finally become the perfect temperature.

"I love you too."

Sam enveloped Kurt's cock with that beautiful mouth and sucked deeply, making Kurt buck forward.

Luckily, Sam remembered Kurt's tendency to do that, and he'd already prepared for it. Sam couldn't deep throat Kurt, but he readily appreciated Kurt's ability to do so.

"Almost got me that time," Sam smirked up at him.

Kurt's head just fell backwards when Sam took him back into his mouth again. Kurt could not imagine anyone in the world complaining about Sam's mouth. Because it was phenomenal.

Kurt grinned when Sam's fingers slipped behind his balls to explore.

Sam pulled back and looked up, his eyes accusing and also almost disbelieving.

"What baby?"

He knew what though.

"Kurt, you have a plug in right now?" Sam's voice was wavering with desire.

"Why, yes I do. Did I forget to mention that?"

Sam grabbed the tip and played with it, slowly pulling it out just a little, making Kurt buck forward with the intensity of the pressure.

"Yes, you did. Is this how you've been surviving our sex free existence?" Sam looked very put out.

"Maybe." Kurt smirked down at him. "There may have been other toys too."

"So, what you're saying," Sam pulled the plug out a little and pushed it back in, "is that you have been using toys on yourself the entire time I've been complaining about my unsatisfying masturbation?"

"Maybe," Kurt gasped at the pressure as Sam repeated his torture.

"That's very unfair, Kurt. Not only didn't you tell me you were doing this, you also didn't share so I could play too." Sam frowned up at him in disapproval.

"I know. Did that on pur-r-rrrpose," Kurt grunted as Sam took his cock back into his mouth and sucked hard.

"Why?"

"So you'd punish me for it," Kurt admitted quietly.

"Oh really?" Sam pulled the plug gently, but completely, out of Kurt.

Kurt bucked forward again. "Y-y-yes."

"So you did this so I'd punish you?" Sam stood and held up the offending plug in front of his face before dropping it at their feet.

"Plus, so I'd be ready for you once you got here. So you could get right to fucking me," Kurt whispered. "You wanted it so bad today. I didn't want you to have to wait."

"Why didn't you tell me that when I got here?" Sam grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him.

"I'm not about to turn down a blowjob," Kurt reasoned.

"True. You're ready for me?"

"God, yes."

Sam kissed him and turned him so that Kurt's back was to him. Kurt felt his hands rubbing his stomach, and sliding farther down to palm his cock. Sam leaned him over and kissed his way from Kurt's shoulder all the way down to the small of his back.

Sam's mouth was amazing to begin with. But when he did this. Kissing him tenderly and all over his body, Kurt could barely stand. The desire pooled everywhere inside him, and he moaned from the intensity. He was going to collapse into a sobbing heap on the shower floor if Sam didn't do something.

"P-please Sam," Kurt begged.

"I'm punishing you, remember?" Sam whispered in his ear before he licked the shell of his ear.

"S-Sam.. I'm s-sorry. I w-won't do it again."

Sam shushed him, and he nudged Kurt's legs apart slightly. "Let's see how ready you are," he groaned into Kurt's ear.

Kurt felt the tip of Sam's cock at his hole, and he bucked backwards, reflexively. Sam entered him easily thanks to the preparing Kurt had done before he got home.

"Yeesss." Kurt moaned.

Sam thrust into Kurt until he was completely inside. "Damn, baby. You were ready."

"I told you," Kurt moaned and pushed his ass back into Sam. "Come on."

"What did you do, stretch yourself with your toys while you were waiting for me?"

Sam pulled out halfway and slammed back into Kurt, and he had to throw his hands against the shower wall to support himself.

Sam's arm was circling Kurt's waist so he could control how far Kurt could move his hips.

"Y-yes. For you."

"You did this for me?" Sam pulled back, further this time, and pushed back inside. "I'll bet you covered that plug with lube and smirked about it, didn't you? Thinking about what I'd do when I found out."

Sam pulled back out and slammed back inside Kurt, and then he did it again, thrusting deep and hard into him. Sam's voice at his ear was enough to make Kurt come.

"Y-yes. I did." Kurt groaned when Sam fisted his cock and started pumping along with his thrusts.

Then Sam stopped talking.

He thrust into Kurt over and over, and he didn't stop even as Kurt came. Kurt called out his name as his release coated Sam's hand. Sam pumped his cock completely through his orgasm, and he never stopped thrusting.

Sam slammed into him three more times, before he came, inside Kurt's body for the first time. Kurt grabbed Sam's arm and pried it from its death grip on his stomach. Sam slipped out of him, and he stood back.

Kurt turned to him, and pulled him into a kiss. "You came inside me," he whispered against Sam's mouth.

"I know. How did that feel?" Sam wrapped his arms around him.

"Amazing." Surreal. Kurt sighed. "And slightly sticky."

Sam snorted. "I'm sorry I went crazy on you. I think I forgot we weren't actually in Shawshank," Sam grinned. "But the sight of that plug, and knowing what you've been doing, sent me over the edge."

"That's why I did it," Kurt admitted and brought his face down for a kiss.

"You are the biggest perv I know. And I love it."

"How many pervs do you actually know?" Kurt smirked as he used a washcloth to clean up.

"Six if you include you and me."

"Good to know. Now come on. Let's dry off and go take a nap."

"I don't need a nap. We can just fool around until I'm ready again."

"But next time, I'm fucking you. And I do need a nap." Kurt smiled and turned off the now almost cold water.

Sam moaned and opened the shower door, grabbing a nearby towel to dry off. He handed another towel to Kurt, and he leaned up against the wall to watch his boyfriend dry himself.

"God, you're gorgeous," Sam was staring at him.

"Thank you," Kurt tossed him the pajama bottoms he'd bought, "put those on. They're new."

Kurt finished drying and pulled on his own bottoms. Then he grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him into the bedroom.

"You are not leaving this bed unless you are absolutely starving," Kurt demanded.

"No complaints here baby. But I am kind of hungry. This guy that I'm crazy about. He wore me out in the shower. I think I'll need food for energy."

Sam flashed that adorable grin that could convince Kurt to do just about anything.

Kurt smiled at him and pulled him in for another kiss. "Alright. We can go eat. You want me to make something good or just something that will get you through round two?"

Sam smiled shyly. "Something good but fast maybe."

"Okay. Let's go."

They plundered the kitchen for something that would fill all of Sam's requirements. They settled on scrambled eggs and toast since it was quick. Sam nodded when Kurt mentioned it, and he thought he heard his boyfriend mutter "protein" under his breath.

"Protein? Really?" Kurt laughed at the blush that covered Sam's face.

"For energy," Sam smirked.

They finished eating and put all the dishes into the sink. And Kurt pulled out some bottles of water to take back upstairs with them.

"I'm ready to sleep some," Kurt yawned behind his hand.

"Did I wear you out too?" Sam grabbed him from behind and kissed him on the neck.

"Yes. I'm not even going to deny it."

Kurt put the water bottles down on the bedside table and turned the covers down. They could sleep for as long as they wanted because nobody else would be home all night. And tomorrow night as well. Carole and his father were staying until Sunday again, just as they'd done the first weekend admission Finn had earlier in the year.

Kurt slipped out of his pajama pants and got into bed. He watched as Sam mirrored his movements and got in beside him, pulling him into their normal spooning position.

"Kurt?" Sam's voice whispered against his ear.

"Yeah baby?" He snuggled into Sam's arms and sighed at the feeling of perfect rightness of this moment.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"When we get done at KSU, and after we get to New York together, would you want to marry me someday?"

Kurt turned in his arms and looked up at Sam's face. The dopey lovable grin was replaced with a look of sincerity. And also fear. As if he wasn't sure that he should be asking it.

"Yes. I would, Sam." Kurt cupped Sam's jaw in his hand and kissed him. "I'd very much want to marry you someday."

"Okay. Good. I'll make it official when we get to New York. We'll go pick out some matching rings that neither one of us can afford, and we'll get them engraved or something. And then you can plan away to your heart's content. Maybe you could design our tuxedos for it."

"I'd like that very much."

"And we'll write our own vows, and I promise that I won't put any Na'vi in them." Sam smiled sleepily.

"You can put any Na'vi word you want into our vows. As long as you translate it for me, Sam."

He could put anything he wanted into the vows if he was serious about this. Kurt's eyes filled with tears and he pulled Sam in for another soft kiss.

"Okay, Na'vi is allowed with translation. As long as we don't put 'Nnngh' in there."

Kurt laughed. "Well, maybe you could sneak that in since nobody else will know what it means."

Sam grinned like Kurt had told him that it was Christmas and his birthday, and he'd be getting laid. All at the same time.

"You'd let me do that?"

"Baby, if you want to really want to marry me, you can write your vows in Na'vi, say them using a Sean Connery impression, and you and Noah can spend the entire reception trying to figure out how many hors d'oeuvres will fit in your mouths. Because the whole point of it all is that you'd be _marrying_ me." Kurt sighed as he drifted off.


	35. Chapter 35

**This is dedicated to JasonDragon64, who requested Shawshank II: Kurt's on Top! Which of course is this chapter's subtitle. I hope I did it justice. **

**Warning: If you haven't been following along, this has monogamous unprotected sex. Just like the previous chapter that I forgot to warn you about. Oops.**

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kurt turned on his side to watch Sam sleep.

His hair had fallen over his eye, and the eyelashes Kurt loved were fluttering slightly. He hoped Sam was having another good dream. He'd had a few nightmares after the assault, and Kurt had worried that they would get worse instead of better over time. But they hadn't. He hadn't dreamed of the assault in a while, unless he just hadn't told Kurt about it.

Sam's breath was even and Kurt watched as his ribcage expanded and contracted with each breath. His boyfriend's torso was a thing of beauty, and it always made Kurt feel a little self-conscious. Sam's skin was tanned and perfect. Kurt was pale and skinny.

Sam always said he was lean and gorgeous rather than skinny, and it made Kurt smile every time he did.

The blanket was only covering the lower half of Sam's abs, and Kurt had to resist the urge to push it down and just stare. Seriously, this man was gorgeous, and he loved Kurt. And he was in Kurt's bed. He could look all he wanted. But he didn't want Sam to wake up yet.

Kurt got out of bed slowly, trying not to stir him. And he tiptoed around the room.

He cued up the music he'd downloaded. Well, it wasn't exactly music, but he doubted that Sam would mind. It was an album of sounds of the ocean. It was as close as he could get to the beach dream Sam had told him about.

He lit the candles, which were scented with tropical flowers and smells of the beach. He'd seen one candle that was supposed to have the scent of suntan lotion, and he'd laughed, but he hadn't bought that one. He'd instead grabbed actual lotion, so he could slather it all over Sam.

If they couldn't have a beach honeymoon yet, Kurt was determined to give Sam the next best thing.

He grabbed the extra pillows he'd stored in the closet, and he spread them around the bed. Then he slipped back into the bed to wait for Sam to wake up.

When it seemed that he wasn't going to wake up without help, Kurt reached out and stroked Sam's cheek.

Nothing. Not even a reflexive bat away with his hand. Damn. He must really be tired.

Kurt slid his hand under the blanket and teased Sam's stomach with feathery strokes. Sam fidgeted in the bed slightly, but he didn't wake up.

He thought this would be easier. He didn't want to shake him and scream, '_Wake up so I can fuck you!'_

Although, that _would_ get the point across.

Kurt smiled and skimmed his hand over Sam's abs with a little more pressure. Sam moaned slightly, but he turned onto his stomach, and Kurt had to snatch his hand back to prevent it getting caught under him. Well, this was turning out fantastically well.

He had the room prepared to simulate Sam's dream, and he couldn't even wake the man up enough for him to appreciate it.

Kurt grabbed the suntan lotion off the bedside table and squirted some into his palm. He warmed it by rubbing his hands back and forth. And then he sat up, close to Sam's side. He rubbed his hands into Sam's shoulder. He couldn't reach the other without straddling his boyfriend, and he didn't want to do that in case Sam's ribs were still an issue.

He rubbed circles into Sam's skin with the lotion, and Sam moaned in his sleep. Kurt squirted more lotion into his hand and massaged it into the muscles of his forearm and bicep. For the one arm he could reach anyway.

Sam stirred, and one eye opened. "Hey baby."

"Hey there. It's time to wake up. I have plans for you."

Sam began to turn on his side.

"No, stay there. I'm busy. Now that you're awake, do you think it would hurt you if I straddled your very cute and sexy ass?"

Sam yawned and pushed himself up slightly. "No, it's good. If you keep doing that, you can straddle any part of me you want." He sniffed his shoulder and smiled. "Suntan lotion?"

"Yeah. Listen for a minute."

Sam smiled when he realized what he was listening to, "The ocean?"

"Yeah. And the candles smell like the beach." Kurt smiled down at him.

Sam pulled Kurt down quickly, and he squealed with surprise. He'd expected Sam to let him finish the massage.

"You're recreating my dream?" Sam pinned Kurt under him and smiled down at him.

"Yes. Do you like it?" Kurt skimmed his hands over Sam's shoulders and down his back.

"I love it," Sam bent his head and kissed Kurt.

Kurt responded, feeling like he hadn't kissed Sam in days. He darted his tongue inside Sam's mouth and moaned. Sam took over, stroking Kurt's bottom lip with his tongue before gently biting it. Sam's kisses overwhelmed him. They always did. Sam made it feel like kissing Kurt was the most important thing in the world.

When Kurt pulled back to breathe, he whispered. "Good. Now let me finish. You know I can't resist getting my hands all over you."

Sam let go, obviously reluctant, and settled back down on to his stomach.

"Now, where was I?"

"Getting ready to fuck me?" Sam asked hopefully, and Kurt snorted.

"So impatient."

He straddled Sam's ass, and he poured more lotion into his hand. This time, he didn't warm it. He slapped his hands against Sam's back, gently of course, and Sam hissed in response to the cold lotion.

"You did that on purpose," he muttered.

"Yep," Kurt rubbed the lotion into his muscles slowly, stroking him back and forth from his lower back up to his shoulders. "Relax."

"I can't. I want you."

"You'll get me in a minute. I have the lube ready. Now indulge me for a little while." He used the base of his hands to apply deeper pressure into Sam's back muscles so that he'd stop tensing up.

"Okay. That does feel good."

Sam moved onto the other shoulder that he hadn't been able to reach while Sam slept. He teased Sam's skin with feathery glides of his fingers before rubbing the lotion into his shoulder. When he'd finished, he hovered over Sam and positioned his mouth near Sam's ear.

"I love you," he whispered.

"God, Kurt, I love you so much. Please..." Sam begged.

He dipped his head closer to Sam's ear. "You want me inside you?"

"God, yes," Sam's reply was strangled.

Kurt straightened back up and grabbed the lube from the end of the bed where he'd placed it when he began the massage. He applied it to his hands and Sam's ass, and he slid one finger inside him, slowly. Sam moaned, and Kurt decided that if he kept making those noises, Kurt would come before he'd even gotten inside him.

"Stop that pornographic display, Sam Evans. I'm going to come before we even get started," he chastised.

Sam snorted. "I'm sorry."

Kurt prepared him with one finger until Sam muttered that he was ready for another. Kurt complied, and worked slowly. He bottomed more often than Sam, so he always felt he should be more thorough when Sam did so that he wouldn't be uncomfortable. He stretched him slowly, and Sam hissed a request for him to give him "_more_."

Kurt complied, and Sam groaned again. He massaged his fingers into Sam, and Sam bucked up.

"Baby, I want you now."

Kurt sat back and Sam got up onto his hands and knees. Sam looked back at Kurt and stilled him with his gaze. "Now, Kurt."

Well, that message was certainly clear. Kurt smiled, "Yes, sir." Kurt applied more lube and spread it over himself.

Kurt entered him slowly, just a few centimeters, just to make sure that Sam was really ready for him. After all, he hadn't spent time with a lubed plug in like Kurt had done earlier. Sam moaned and pressed back with his hips, obviously ready and very impatient by now.

Kurt slid inside him further, and stilled his movements, allowing Sam time to adjust.

"Kurt. Now," Sam demanded.

Kurt slipped one hand under Sam to grab his cock. With the other hand, he slid fingers across Sam's back, spelling out _'I love you, Sam.'_

Sam groaned at the touch of Kurt's fingers on his back, and he bucked his hips back towards Kurt.

Kurt thrust inside Sam quickly and hard, and Sam lost the support of his arms. He dropped down onto his elbows and muttered, "More."

Kurt complied and began a slow and steady thrusting in and out of Sam, while his hand pumped Sam's cock again and again. Once he'd found Sam's prostate, apparent by the hissing affirmative and repeated cursing that had poured out of Sam's mouth, he concentrated on that spot. Over and over, getting closer to his own orgasm.

"God, Sam, you feel so good," Kurt murmured as he lowered his mouth to press a kiss against Sam's back.

"Fuck, baby," Sam whined.

"I am," Kurt grinned against his back.

Sam's moaning and the glorious feeling of being inside him forced Kurt to come more quickly than he wanted. He moaned Sam's name as his release came, and he smiled at the thought of coming inside Sam for the first time. He stilled as his orgasm completed and he grinned again when he realized that Sam hadn't come yet.

Good, he'd been waiting to get Sam inside his mouth all day.

Sam fell back down to the bed and sighed. Kurt bent down and whispered into his ear, "Turn over baby. I want my mouth on you."

Sam groaned his agreement with the idea and he turned over onto his back.

Kurt dove down, settling himself between Sam's thighs, and he enveloped Sam's cock into his mouth. He moaned with pleasure, the act that he'd been fantasizing about all day final coming to completion. He massaged Sam's cock with his fingers, teasing him with pressure from the base as he sucked.

Sam bucked his hips up and towards Kurt's mouth, and Kurt very happily complied by sucking him deeply until Sam's cock teased the back of his throat.

"God, baby, I love that you can do that," Sam moaned. "Your mouth is incredible."

Kurt pulled Sam out of his mouth and stretched up to kiss him. "I love doing it. I love when you tease the back of my throat. I love when you come, and I get to feel it inside my mouth, on my tongue. You taste amazing, and I just want to swallow you whole."

Sam moaned and kissed him single-mindedly, but Kurt pulled away from him.

"No, I'm going to finish, and then you can kiss me and taste yourself."

Sam groaned a response that consisted of half-formed curse words, before dropping his head back down.

Kurt went back to work, licking and swirling his tongue over every slickened inch of Sam's cock. "God I love this," he murmured against Sam's tantalizing skin.

Kurt sucked, harder and harder to comply with Sam's every request. He used the twisting motion with his fist that he'd learned drove Sam insane during the hand-job in the car, and he used it in tandem with his mouth, working Sam into coming.

Sam shouted a warning, but then he came, and Kurt worked to swallow through the orgasm. He felt Sam's cock soften in his mouth, and he licked it as he pulled it out, Sam bucking at the sensitivity it revealed.

Kurt leaned up and kissed Sam, and this time, he let Sam take control of the kiss. Sam pulled him down and trapped him in his arms, and he kissed Kurt thoroughly.

"God, I love you," Sam whispered as he pulled away to breathe.

"I love you too." Kurt murmured. "Did that live up to the dream?"

"Baby, that surpassed the dream. That surpassed any dream I might have in the next five years."

Kurt giggled and snuggled into Sam's shoulder.

"Are you tired?" Sam asked through a yawn.

"Nope," Kurt sighed as his eyes drifted shut. "Not at all."

"Liar. Well, guess what?"

"You're hungry," Kurt answered.

"Yep, I'm hungry," Sam smirked and pulled Kurt into another kiss.

Sam was always hungry, even though he was very picky about what he ate. Kurt worried that he obsessed too much about how he looked, and he tried his best to get Sam to indulge sometimes. Even if that meant that Kurt had to indulge too.

"Do you want to go out? I don't really want to cook."

Kurt didn't think he had the energy to do either one, but they needed to eat something.

"Can we order pizza?" Sam sounded like a kid, excited and eager.

"Yes, we can order pizza," Kurt smiled and kissed him. "You can even pick the toppings, but you can't just get veggies."

"Deal. I'll call."

"I'm going to go take a shower then. And I'll meet you in the living room."

Kurt showered quickly, and he blew out the candles before leaving the room. Sam passed him on the way to take his place in the shower, and he pressed a soft kiss to Kurt's mouth. "I'll be right back. The money for the pizza is by the door if he comes before I get done."

"Okay, I'm going to pick out a movie." Kurt grinned and put the DVD in once he'd decided on the movie he wanted to watch.

He went into the kitchen and grabbed some sodas for them, and he brought them back into the living room. This felt right. Being with Sam like this. The way they would be at Kent State. The way they'd bet together in New York after that. Like it was just the two of them living together.

The pizza arrived just as Sam came back from taking a shower. Kurt paid for it, and he put it next to the plates and napkins he'd brought from the kitchen.

Sam came into the living room and sunk down into the couch, snatching a slice of pizza along the way. He moaned when he bit into it, and he looked at it like he'd looked at Kurt earlier. Like he wanted to devour it.

"I never thought I'd be jealous of a slice of pizza," Kurt smiled at him.

"You're much better than pizza baby. I'm just starving."

He wolfed down the first slice and dove back in for another. Kurt watched in amusement and hit play on the DVD player.

He turned to see Sam's expression when the movie began to play. Kurt smirked when he saw Sam realize what he'd chosen. The opening theme music was impossible to forget.

"Fucking Rizzo," Sam muttered and glared at Kurt.

Kurt threw his head back and laughed. "I believe in our case, baby, Rizzo was fucking Kenickie."


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: I did the lyrics this time like a conversation since it's a mashup (and would go on for pages and pages if I just posted it like I normally would). If you want to know the songs, they're "Forgiveness" by Leona Lewis (Mercedes) and "Not Ready to Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks (Santana). They might not sound right together as a real mash-up, but the lyrics were what I wanted to get across.**

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"What's going on, San?" Sam called out as he and Kurt entered the auditorium holding hands.

Today was the day they would be doing a full run through of their Nationals routines, and Santana had requested that both Sam and Kurt be there when the Troubletones did theirs. The group number was coming along nicely, and Puck's voice was great for the song they'd chosen.

Kurt had been surprised when he found out that Mercedes and Santana were singing on the Troubletones song, especially since Mercedes had offered to drop out.

Santana showed them both where to sit, in the front row.

Santana had told Sam that Mercedes had a message for the both of them. And she had agreed to have Mercedes sing with her on the Nationals number because of the message she wanted to send to Kurt and Sam.

Sam leaned over to Kurt, "San said they're doing a mash-up instead of a solo. Mercedes is singing too. San told me that her part of the mash-up is a message to her grandmother."

Kurt nodded, tears in his eyes already without even having heard the song. Santana's grandmother had asked her to leave after finding out that she was a lesbian and in love with Brittany. Her greatest wish was that her grandmother would love her again. So this song had a powerful message for her, even if her grandmother never heard it.

They watched as the Troubletones got into position, and the music began to play.

Mercedes walked from the back to the mic up front, and she placed both hands on it.

"_I don't wanna spend another day, pointing fingers while I'm taking blame_."

The Troubletones swayed with the music behind her, harmonizing, and Santana took a position at the second mic.

Mercedes continued singing, "_I'm no angel, imperfect myself, cause baby I am only human_."

Santana started in with her part of the mashup, "_Forgive…sounds good. Forget, I'm not sure I could. They say, time heals everything, but I'm still waiting_."

Mercedes started back with "_And I don't wanna put it all on you, I admit I did some painful things it's true. And I'm sorry for them, no making amends_."

Santana continued, "_I'm through with doubt. There's nothing left for me to figure out. I've paid a price, and I'll keep paying_."

Santana stepped forward and held her hand up, "_Cause I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to back down. I'm still mad as hell, and I don't have time to go round and round and round_."

Mercedes stepped beside her "_Starting today, I'm gonna change. Don't wanna make the same mistakes, Cause I can see a new horizon. The ice around my heart is melting._"

Santana walked across the stage confidently, "_It's too late to make it right, I probably wouldn't if I could, Cause I'm mad as hell, Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should_."

Mercedes stalked across to the opposite side, "_And the hurt I feel is slowly dying. Now I'm, no longer crying. The bridge we burnt is being built again. It's leading to a new beginning, and it may never be the way it was_."

"_And that's because I'm talking about forgiveness. Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness_"

They sang together for those lines, and Kurt felt a swelling in his chest. They always sounded so amazing together.

Mercedes swayed and looked at Sam and Kurt "_I wish we could take back the things we said. Cause what we said's not always what we meant. We lost our heads in the moment, and the words we used them like a weapon_.

"_I know you said, can't you just get over it. It turned my whole world around, and I kind of like it_," Santana purred into the mic.

Mercedes looked back at Santana, "_But no one wins if we both walk away and we hid behind the people we became. We're warmer than that, we're better than that. And I still cherish all the things we had_."

Santana smiled at Sam as she sang, "_I made my bed and I sleep like a baby, with no regrets and I don't mind saying, it's a sad sad story when a mother will teach her daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger…_"

Mercedes broke in with part of Santana's song, "_And how in the world can the words that I said, send somebody so over the edge, that they'd write me a letter, saying that I better, shut up and sing or my life will be oveeerrrr_."

Santana started in with part of Mercedes's song, "_Starting today, I'm gonna change, Cause I can see a new horizon. The ice around my heart is melting, and the hurt I feel is slowly dying_."

"_I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to back down. I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round_," Mercedes continued with Santana's song.

Santana spun in a circle and held out her hand, "_Now I'm no longer crying, the bridge we burnt is being built again. It's leading to a new beginning, and it may never be the way it was_."

Mercedes sang, "_And that's because I'm talking about forgiveness. Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness._"

"_I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to back down. I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round_," Santana continued.

Mercedes's voice rang back in with, "_If everybody could forgive and forget. Think of all the time that we could spend, being friends. Think about all the lives we could change, and all the love we could make."_

Santana continued, with the others backing her, "_Baby how the world would be a better place. In the ennnndddd, ohhhhh!_"

"_It's too late to make it right, I probably wouldn't if I could. Cause I'm mad as hell, I can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should_," Mercedes spun and held up her hand.

Santana walked to the front of the stage where Kurt and Sam sat and sang, "_It's leading to a new beginning, and it may never be the way it was. And that's because I'm talking about forgiveness_."

Mercedes echoed her with "_Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness_."

Santana sang, "_What it is you think I should._"

They sang together on the final lines.

"_Forgive, sounds good. Forget, I'm not sure I could. They say time heals everything, but I'm still waiting_."

By the end of the song, Santana was crying, and Brittany was holding her on the stage. Kurt ran up the steps to the stage and grabbed her, pulling her into a strong hug.

"That was beautiful, Santana. You can let go of it. We're here for you," Kurt whispered. Brittany was crying and hugging both of them, and the rest of the Troubletones were teary eyed as well.

Kurt watched as Mercedes walked over to Sam.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I have no excuse for what happened and for my part in it. I don't know what happened to me. And I can't believe I stood by and didn't do anything," Mercedes broke down sobbing, and Kurt smiled as Sam pulled her into a hug.

Kurt let Brittany take over Santana's hug, and he walked over to Mercedes. He held out his arms, and he folded her into them while she sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt!"

Sam leaned down and kissed Kurt, mouthing "I love you" as his head dropped down.

"I love you too, Sam." Kurt whispered.

The Troubletones pulled everybody in to a group hug, while Santana and Mercedes sobbed in the middle.

"Okay ladies, you look gorgeous as always. But we have to deal with an issue here."

Santana sniffed and looked up, "What's wrong?"

"No sobbing allowed at Nationals," Kurt grinned. "You have to be able to run through this without turning into such emotional… _girls_," he shivered in mock disgust.

Santana laughed, and Brittany grinned before kissing Kurt on the cheek.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"They were really good, Sam." Kurt pulled Sam into a hug and kissed him. "They might just show us up at Nationals."

They left the auditorium, but Sam stopped him near the main entrance to kiss him.

"No way. They will rock, but we will be even better," Sam grinned and turned the kiss into a deeper one, his tongue diving into Kurt's mouth.

"Well, if we could get a certain member of the duet partnership to understand that groping is not part of the choreography, we might get somewhere," Kurt replied.

"If the other partner would stop being so fucking hot and wearing tight jeans and shirts that can get taken off so easily, then the first partner might be able to concentrate better," Sam smirked and led Kurt out into the hallway.

They walked back to the choir room where the rest of the group was working on the group number for Nationals. Sam sat in the back and watched the members of New Directions as they danced.

They had plans to make for the Nationals trip, which was to Chicago this year. Mr. Martinez had been roped into being a chaperone, and that had been all Sam's idea. Coach Sylvester had also decided to go, since Mr. Schue was no longer a member of the faculty at McKinley.

He'd been fired at the end of the investigation due to improprieties of having Finn at his house at all hours of the night. Finn's mom had been unable to prove anything, since Finn refused to talk about his visits there. But at least Schue was gone now.

Finn had been at the hospital for two weeks now, and Carole said that he was improving somewhat. Kurt pretty much stayed out of it, and Sam was glad of that. Finn had done too much to both of them. Sam honestly, could care less what happened to him, but he knew that Kurt still felt a responsibility to him since they were step-brothers.

School was as normal as it would get for a same-sex couple, Sam figured.

He and Kurt still got stares of disapproval, but the normal bullying had pretty much stopped after the school had seen what had happened to Shane and his friends.

Shane hadn't been charged formally, but his reputation was shattered. He'd heard Mercedes talking in Glee about how they'd broken up because Shane couldn't realize that what he'd done was wrong. He blamed Sam and Kurt for all his scholarship opportunities being taken away from him. Instead of grasping that his own behavior had been just as much a part of it.

Kurt was in charge of the hotel reservations, and Sam was assisting. They had to deal with the same-gender room assignments and the issues with couples.

Kurt had grinned at Sam when he mentioned that Quinn and Rachel requested to share a room. It didn't mean anything of course, unless the girls actually admitted there was anything between them.

Blaine and Puck had requested a room together, of course, and they'd been able to slip past Coach Sylvester's wrath because she didn't know they had ever been a couple. She'd hunted down Kurt and showed him the room listing that had his own and Sam's names crossed out as roommate options.

Kurt hadn't told him everything they'd said, but Kurt admitted that he'd told Sue that since they were eighteen years old, they had every right to room together. Especially since Brittany and Santana were assigned together. Those two roomed together on every trip they'd been on for Glee or the Cheerios.

He didn't know what kind of power Kurt had over her, but by the end of the argument, Sam's and Kurt's names were back together on the roommate list. He wasn't sure he wanted to know how, but he was definitely going to avoid Sue for a while, until she stopped lactating with rage.

The last time he'd run into her, she'd moved on from calling him young Justin Taylor to the "Deflowerer of Sweet Porcelain." She'd also muttered that while she didn't think anybody was going to deserve her Porcelain, she'd decided that Sam was the least offensive of all the choices that Kurt could have made.

It made Sam perversely proud, actually.

Sam's thoughts turned to their life after Nationals and after graduation.

He and Kurt had decided to go spend some time with Sam's parents in Kentucky after graduation. Since they were both going to Kent State, they'd be able to see Kurt's family and friends more often. It had been Kurt's idea, and Sam was touched that he wanted to do this for both of them.

His family loved Kurt, but it would still be good for them to have more time together to get to know each other better.

They just had their summer orientation at KSU to go to part of the way through the summer, and then they were going back to Kentucky until a few weeks before they were to move in to their apartment.

Kurt's dad wasn't really happy with the idea of Kurt being in a dorm with possibly homophobic college students, so he'd offered to help with an apartment rental for the two of them. He laughed it off as being less expensive than it would have been had Kurt not taken the full scholarship, but Sam was pretty sure Burt would have done the same for Kurt even if he had to pay thousands of dollars a year for him to attend a school in New York.

Sam watched as his boyfriend walked through the choreography for the group number. Kurt and Puck were mimicking each other, and Puck was smirking at Kurt the entire time. Even Blaine looked like he was having fun rather than being irritated.

Sam was sure he'd pitch a fit over not getting a solo, but if he had, he'd done it in front of someone else. But he really couldn't argue with Puck getting a solo, especially if he wanted to play the supportive boyfriend card.

Not that he'd ever played it with Kurt.

_Stop_, Sam thought.

Kurt was with Sam now. He would just be wasting time to dwell on Blaine's behavior and his treatment of Kurt. Focusing on it would just make Sam angry.

Sam looked back at Kurt, who was smiling at him as he danced. He loved that about Kurt. His eyes would follow Sam and he would just smile at him.

Just to let Sam know that Kurt was happy.

He looked happy. Happier than Sam had ever seen him.

Kurt grinned now. Like all the time. He'd been through so much at this school, and they'd been through so much in their relationship, that it was wonderful to just see him happy.

Sam walked across the room towards Kurt and stopped him in mid spin with a kiss. Kurt's muffled protest died quickly, and Sam backed him up against the piano to deepen the kiss. Vaguely, he realized this probably wasn't the right time to attack Kurt, but he really didn't care at the moment.

Kurt was beautiful, and he was happy, and he was dancing, and Sam just needed a kiss. And that was pretty much all there was to it.

Sam registered catcalls behind him from the peanut gallery known as New Directions, but he smiled against Kurt's mouth and just ignored them.

Kurt muttered "Sam" against his mouth but he didn't fight the kiss. Kurt wrapped his arms around Sam and kissed him back with the passion that he usually only reserved for Sam when they were in bed together. If Sam didn't slow this down, Kurt might start stripping soon.

Not that Sam minded that. Nope. Not at all.

But Kurt would mind once he came to his senses and found himself half-naked in front of the Glee club members.

Kurt came to his senses and pulled back slightly. "What was that for?"

"I love you. You looked happy. I needed to kiss you," Sam shrugged.

Kurt nodded and laughed, "Sounds like a legitimate reason."

"I thought so."

It sounded like a perfectly acceptable reason to attack his boyfriend in the middle of rehearsal. Plus, he might just be a little horny. But he figured it was best to leave that part out.

"Damn guys, get a room," Puck laughed.

"We have one. At home," Kurt shot back, and then he covered his mouth when he realized what he'd announced to everyone.

"Baby, I love it when you blurt stuff out to me, but I don't think everybody else needed to know that we share a room," Sam laughed.

"Shut up," Kurt smiled at him and pulled him in for another kiss. "Besides, we don't share a room. You have one, you just refuse to sleep in it."

"Because I'd rather sleep with you," Sam whispered.

Brittany walked up to them and stood, staring at Kurt.

Sam turned his head to look at her, and her eyes were on Kurt's mouth. "Dolphin, I miss making out with you. You two kissing was so hot."

Santana slid into place beside her, "Yes, yes it was. Wanky. Kiss some more."

"No!" Kurt crossed his arms in defiance.

"Come on, you won't let us watch you have sex, and we've asked a bunch of times. It's only fair."

Britt pulled out her pout, which was something that did work on Kurt, as much as his boyfriend would like to deny it.

It didn't work as well as the Trouty Pout, but that was to be expected.

"We're not turning this into an episode of Queer as Folk, Santana," Kurt smirked.

"Ooooh. That sounds good. Let's go do that," Santana replied and licked her lips.

"Come on, baby. Kiss me. Your ex-girlfriend and mine want a show," Sam pouted.

"Samuel Evans. You are supposed to side with me," Kurt demanded.

"I do most of the time. But in this case, if I side with you, I don't get more kisses. That should explain it." Sam dipped his head and kissed Kurt's throat.

"Sam," Kurt glared.

"We can go to the auditorium, back where the mirror is," Sam whispered in his ear. "We can kiss for them, and then when they leave…."

"Remember how I said you didn't have to pay me for my help with Finn and Schue, and for my help with Shane, and for all the other stuff…." Santana grinned as she studied her fingernail.

"I see how it is. Point out that I owe you a favor, and then you bring out the whole voyeurism kink you have," Kurt shifted uncomfortably.

"You know you want to, baby. You want me right now. They _just_ want to watch us kiss," Sam continued. "Just kissing…that's all."

"Technically that's not true. I want to watch you fuck. Britt wants to watch you fuck and then join in. We're _settling_ for watching you kiss." Santana replied.

Sam grinned when Kurt's eyebrow arched nearly off his forehead.

"Sam, you are going to be in trouble for this," Kurt replied.

"I know. You can punish me later. Let's go make out for Britt and San," Sam grabbed his hand pulled Kurt towards the door.

"Where are you guys going?" Puck shouted from across the room.

"Apparently, I'm going to go make out with Sam while Satan and Britt watch," Kurt shouted back.

Brittany squealed with delight, and jumped up and down, clapping like crazy. Santana smirked and wrapped an arm around Britt's waist.

"Hey Trouty!" Puck shouted.

Sam stopped at the doorway, and looked at him. "What?"

Puck gestured for him to come over, and Sam walked over to him.

Puck ducked his head and whispered, "If Britt says '_Now, Santana_,' get Little Dude's pants back on. Because she'll be all over him in about thirty seconds if you don't."


	37. Chapter 37

**This story will be ending soon. Like in a few chapters. There will be Nationals, and then I plan to do one or two epilogue type chapters. **

**Thanks for hanging in there, especially AirNationOracle and JasonDragon64.**

**Warning: Britt gets carried away. Fluffy references to smut but no actual smut.**

Not really a warning, I just felt like putting that up there. Who puts warnings that state when smut is absent? Me apparently.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Ten minutes later, Kurt found himself in "their room" in the back of the auditorium with two Cheerios who looked way too excited at the prospect of Sam and Kurt making out.

Brittany was buzzing with excitement, and Santana was almost salivating. Seriously? Didn't these girls have an exciting enough sex life together? He couldn't imagine that watching Kurt and Sam kiss would be this life-changing for them.

Sam was grinning and putting down various clothes on the floor in soft piles. He'd attacked the rack of costumes the minute he walked in, while Kurt stopped to drop his bag at the door. When Kurt opened his mouth to ask why Sam was piling the costumes, Sam said he was going to make Kurt more comfortable before he had his way with him.

The tone of voice that he'd said it in made Kurt weak in the knees, and Santana practically purred. She of course, would know what it was like to be devoured by Sam, so she knew what Kurt was looking forward to.

"Come here," Sam growled at Kurt, and he nearly stumbled to get over to where Sam was standing.

Sam kissed him deeply, his tongue taking over Kurt's mouth and his hands beginning the exploration that Kurt knew so well. He could almost predict which body part Sam would touch next. Sam's mouth was incredible, and he sucked on Kurt's bottom lip before he began attacking Kurt's throat. Kurt threw his head back and moaned.

Sam navigated both of them down to the floor, and Kurt felt his back land in the pile of costumes. Sam nudged his legs apart and settled between them. Kurt moaned again when he felt Sam's erection against him.

Sam's mouth trailed wet kisses down his throat and over his collarbone. Kurt sighed and let his hands wander across Sam's back and shoulders.

Kurt pulled Sam's face down for more kisses, and Sam groaned into his mouth. Sam pulled his leg up to get him closer, and he held Kurt's thigh up against him.

Kurt moaned again when he felt Sam's hands slide over his ass.

"Wanky," Santana purred, snapping Kurt out of his haze.

Sam seemed to have forgotten the girls were there too, and he smiled down at Kurt.

They turned to see Britt and Santana curled up on a pile and kissing. It wasn't exactly something Kurt found attractive on a regular basis, but he had to admit that the passion that they felt for each other was kind of hot.

"I feel like I've been dropped in the middle of a porno," Kurt grinned at Sam, who'd gotten distracted by the sight of the girls making out. "What's the matter, Sam?" Kurt laughed.

"That," Sam pointed at Santana and Britt. "That explains so much to me."

Kurt had an idea of what he was talking about, but since he didn't want to discuss Sam's relationship with Santana at the moment, he'd let it slide until later.

"Well, Brittany is an amazing kisser," Kurt pulled Sam down and kissed him. "I can see how she'd be overcome right now." Kurt gestured to Santana with a nod of his head.

"Yes, she is," Santana muttered before attacking her girlfriend again.

"Yes she is, and Santana is too," Sam agreed absently.

"Oh that's right. The party. I forgot you and Britt kissed at Rachel's party. So you've kissed both of them, and I've only kissed Britt." Kurt watched in amusement as Britt and Santana roll around on the floor in from of them.

"Totally unfair, by the way," Santana stopped abusing Britt's mouth to look up at Kurt. "She talks about your lips all the time."

Sam bent down to kiss him and whispered, "Your lips are incredible, you know. They're so soft, and they taste amazing."

Kurt could feel himself blush, "Thank you."

"Dolphin, will you kiss Santana? She's been feeling left out since she's kissed Sam and I've kissed you, and you've kissed Sam, and Sam's kissed you _and_ me. And it's just not fair to Sanny," Britt requested innocently.

Kurt looked at her. She seemed to really feel it was unfair to Santana that she didn't get to kiss Kurt. The girl was precious.

"I don't think Sanny really wants that Boo. And Sam might not want that." Kurt smiled at her.

Kurt laughed when Britt pouted at Sam. "Please, Sammy?"

"Sam actually might think that could be kind of hot. Maybe." Sam replied with a shrug.

"Sam might need to be just a bit clearer," Kurt dropped his hands and stared up at his bisexual boyfriend. "Does Sam want Kurt to do this, or does Sam want Sam to do this?"

Sam hovered over him and glared down. "Don't. Don't go there. Sam wants Kurt to do it. Because Sam thinks that Kurt kissing is the most erotic thing on the planet, and Sam wants to watch Kurt do that to Santana. Not because Sam wants to do it. Got that?"

"I'm sorry," Kurt said quietly. "I shouldn't have assumed that."

Sam dipped his mouth to Kurt's ear. "I want you. Just because I think two girls kissing is hot doesn't mean I want to have a threesome with them. And it doesn't mean I want to kiss either of them. But I'm being honest that I think that watching you kiss her will be fucking hot."

"Okay," Kurt whispered.

Sam whispered again, "Puck told me back in the choir room that if you hear Britt say _'Now Santana'_ it means she's about to jump your bones. So watch out if she says it."

Kurt pulled back in surprise. "This is a set-up isn't it?"

"Yes. We planned all of it. Brittany has been dying to have sex with you for months. So Santana and I planned this entire situation so that you'll be forced to have sex with a girl while Santana and I watch. We're planning to convert you to the dark side of bisexuality," Sam deadpanned.

"Shut up, Anakin." Kurt smacked him on the arm.

"Then stop saying shit like that. Now kiss the girl before Brittany eats her tonsils." Sam pointed at the moaning pile of Cheerios.

"Ew. That's gross. I meant the eating tonsils thing by the way. Not me kissing her."

"You don't think it's gross when I eat your tonsils."

"That's because you're mine."

"Britt. Let go of Santana a minute. Kurt's going to rock her world." Sam smirked back at Kurt as he said it, reminding them of the incident between Blaine and Rachel during that party.

Kurt snorted. "Hardly, Sam."

"I bet she'll think your face tastes awesome," Sam laughed and then he turned back to Kurt to whisper, "And when you're done kissing her, we'll kick them out. And then I'm going to fuck you right here."

A flare of desire sparked inside him. "That's one hell of a reward for kissing a girl."

"That's one hell of a reward for you being okay with kissing a girl."

"Britt," Kurt looked over at the girl who was sucking face with Satan, but she ignored him.

"Britt," Kurt repeated and stared at their display before turning back to Sam, who just shrugged.

"Britt!" Kurt shouted, and the girl pulled away from Santana.

"Yes, Dolphin?" Britt was dazed and since she was confused most of the time, the effect made for a more adorable Brittany than usual.

"Boo, I can't kiss her if you won't get off her," Kurt replied kindly.

"Oh yay!" Britt clapped her hands together. "He's going to kiss you Sanny!"

"Really?" Santana purred at him. "You sure Lady Lips? I'm not exactly your type."

"If my name is Lady Lips, I'm closer to your type than any other guy at this school," Kurt smirked at her.

"Touché, Prancy Smurf," Santana crawled over to Kurt and Britt squealed.

Britt got up and moved over to sit down on Sam's other side. Sam sat back and Britt draped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him slightly away and off of Kurt.

It was like being in a sexual lioness's den. And Kurt had to admit, he was afraid. Very afraid.

Kurt turned to Sam, "If she does anything illegal to me or violates me in any way, you are not getting sex for a month."

"Shit. Santana, behave yourself. You get his lips only," Sam looked down in fear.

Santana cackled and looked at Sam, "Too late Trouty. I'm going to have my way with him." Then she winked at Kurt.

Kurt smirked when Sam paled at the prospect of this idea turning on him. Kurt held out his arms and Santana sank into a hug.

She dropped her mouth to Kurt's ear and whispered, "Britt wants the kiss Prancy. I love her, so let's go along with this. She's convinced that your lips are some kind of god-given gift, and she won't hush until we do this. I'm not going to molest you. But you could make Sam think I am."

"Deal," Kurt whispered back. "I want him to hate this. I want him to be jealous that someone else, boy or girl, is kissing me."

"I can handle that."

And then Santana covered his mouth with hers. She smirked into the kiss and Kurt moaned, half-seriously and half for Sam's benefit. Santana licked his lips and pulled his lower lip in to bite it, and Kurt heard Britt moan in the background.

Man, she could kiss. He could appreciate kissing, no matter the gender. No wonder Britt had such a hard time staying away from her.

Kurt heard and felt movement as if someone was getting up out of the floor. He knew it wasn't Santana because she was currently trying to swallow his uvula. It could be either Sam or Britt, but he couldn't tell right now.

He heard the words "_Now, Santana_" spoken softly, and he opened his eyes.

Wasn't there a warning about that phrase?

"Shit!" Sam shouted in the background.

And then Kurt was attacked by a blonde tornado of hands and kisses. Santana was pushed off to the side, and then Britt took over. She had apparently decided that she'd had enough of Santana hoarding the Dolphin kisses, and she wanted some of her own.

Kurt tried to protest, but then Britt had her tongue down his throat, cutting off all communication.

He heard Santana cackle, and Sam was cursing and trying to pull Britt off him. And then she started groping. This was more intense than when they'd made out in sophomore year. Britt wasn't going to settle for just kissing this time.

And then she was pulled off him, and Britt's eyes were hazy with unspent desire.

"Britt? Are you okay?" Kurt grinned up at her. He couldn't even be mad at her. She was too damn adorable and sweet.

"Sorry, Dolphin. Santana says I get carried away sometimes." She didn't look sorry though.

She looked like an endearing blonde predator that would devour him at a moment's notice. Sam had Britt around the waist and he was gently holding her, turning her away from Kurt.

"This shit is why I can't leave her alone with Kurt," Santana stated to Sam, as if it was normal for her girlfriend to be preying on her gay best friend. "She's only allowed to be with him in public."

"I see this. You did warn me though. I can't say you didn't." Sam shook his head and deposited Britt at the doorway.

"Wait, you knew this would happen?" Kurt glared up at them from the floor.

"Well, we knew it was a possibility." Santana smirked down at him. "You know she's never kept it a secret that she wanted some more Dolphin kisses."

"So you just let her attack me?" Kurt laughed out loud, the absurdity of the situation taking over.

"Have you ever been able to stop her from doing something before?" Santana put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

"Touche, Satan. You're forgiven. Boo, it's okay. I'm alright."

Britt smiled down at him. "Thank you for making out with me again, Dolphin."

Well, it had been more like she'd jumped him, but he wasn't going to be mean to her. She loved him, and she was his bicurious unicorn. If he was straight, then Britt would be the girl for him.

And Santana had told him on many occasions that Kurt being gay was the only thing standing in between Britt and her having Kurt as her man.

He watched as Santana led a very dazed and always confused Britt out of the room.

Then Sam was back, on top of him, kissing him like he needed Kurt more than air. He felt Sam's hands in his hair, ruffling it, but he didn't care. All he wanted was that mouth all over him.

Sam pulled back slightly, "I'm sorry I didn't catch her in time."

"It was traumatic," Kurt remarked matter-of-factly.

"I could tell. Did she get a hold of your tonsils too?" Sam smiled down at him.

"Yes, I'm going to have post-traumatic stress from this," Kurt replied.

"I'm sure you will. I'll make it all better though."

"Where were you when she attacked me? I was helpless and at the mercy of Satan and her mistress."

"Actually it was just her mistress you were at the mercy of. Satan had been thrown to the side," Sam laughed. "And I was in your bag, finding your lube."

"Ah. Pervert. Abandoned me to the mercy of oversexed lesbians just to get supplies."

"We needed them. And for the record, one lesbian and one bicurious unicorn."

"Not the point. I was in a den of oversexed women," Kurt smiled.

"Yes, you were. And I gotta admit. I didn't like it," Sam leaned back. "I thought it would be hot, but all I wanted to do was get her off you. Santana too."

"Really?" Kurt grinned. That's what he wanted to hear.

"Is this how it felt to see me kiss Quinn?" Sam asked quietly.

"You mean that unnatural feral growl of fury accompanied by the fiery need to rip her face off for daring to put her lips on yours?"

Sam snorted. "Something like that."

"Nope. Can't say that's a familiar feeling at all."

He'd only felt it when Quinn got near Sam, when Santana got near Sam, when Britt got near Sam, when Mercedes got near Sam. That was all. No big deal.

"Even though I know you have no attraction to San or Britt at all, I couldn't help but feel that they needed to get their hands off you."

"That's because you want to have your way with me," Kurt wrapped his arms around Sam's neck.

"I always want that. But I really felt that they needed to get off my man. It was intense."

"I know. I can't stand the idea of you being with anybody else, male or female. I hate the thought of it."

"I know I don't have to worry about you leaving me for a female, but I'll admit, I can't stand the way Blaine looks at you."

"He doesn't look at me any way in particular."

"Or the way David looks at you."

"Sam," Kurt replied quietly.

"Or Puck for that matter."

"They don't look at me like anything. And even if they did, I'm yours." Kurt had never seen any of them look at him recently, but that's because he only had eyes for Sam most of the time.

"Baby, you're the sexiest human being alive. Of course they look at you."

"I'd like to argue that point, because you are much sexier than I am."

"Nope."

"Yep."

"I hate how many people I have to put up with staring at your sexy ass."

Kurt winked up at him. "I have to put up with straight women wanting you, bisexual women wanting you, gay men wanting you, and bisexual men wanting you. And you're not even safe from lesbians if they're led by Satan herself."

Sam snorted again. "Well, I have to deal with gay men wanting you, bisexual men wanting you, and bisexual women if they're led by her mistress. And now, Satan herself has had a taste of you. I'm sure I'll have to deal with her later."

"I know what the problem is."

"What?"

"Karma."

"For what? What did we do?"

"We're paying the price for being so fucking hot all the time," Kurt sighed dramatically.


	38. Chapter 38

The first day in Chicago had gone well for everybody.

Coach Sylvester had only terrified two hotel employees, but that had been because they hadn't made it to Chicago in time for her to get to the rest of them. Mr. Martinez had leaned on the check-in counter and flirted with the two female employees to make it up to them for Sue's behavior.

Kurt, Rachel, and Quinn had taken a tour of the Chicago Theatre, just for the hell of it. Rachel and Kurt had been there before, but Quinn hadn't.

Sam and Puck had taken off for the Sears Tower as soon as they were let loose in the city. And then they were going to a game at Wrigley.

Blaine had a new found obsession with Mr. Martinez, which Puck didn't disapprove of, and he'd decided to go with Mike, Tina and Artie to a pizza restaurant with Mr. M.

Sugar and Rory were shopping, of course. And since Sugar was paying for it, Rory had no hesitation about going with her.

After terrorizing enough people, Sue decided a massage was in order, so she'd stayed busy for hours after that.

But now, tonight was Nationals.

And they'd find out how they stacked up without Rachel singing lead for any song. Mercedes and Santana had desensitized themselves to the point where they were actually able to sing their mash-up without bursting into tears.

Their group number was as good as they were going to get it. They'd practiced it with Rachel on lead before, but they'd modified it to suit Puck's voice. They'd modified the lyrics too to accommodate all the seniors.

"Are you ready for this?" Sam pulled Kurt up against him backstage and kissed him.

"Yes. I'm ready. No groping," Kurt smiled at him.

"No groping. Promise. Not even when I sing the _on your knees_ line."

"How can you perv this song? This has a special message and you're perving it." Kurt put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"I can perv anything, baby."

The Troubletones were already on stage, and Kurt and Sam were to go on next. Then the rest of the group would join them for the third number.

Kurt listened as the final notes of the Troubletones song died out, and he and Sam clapped along with the audience.

And then they made their way out to the middle of the stage. Sam mouthed "I love you," to Kurt and he repeated it back to him.

"Let's do this," Sam whispered.

And the music of their duet began. They swayed with their choreography, but they chose not to do anything that would be too distracting or anything that would leave the judges with questions about their relationship. Their song was message enough.

**Kurt**:

_You feel like a candle in a hurricane_

_Just like a picture with a broken frame_

_Alone and helpless_

_Like you've lost your fight_

_But you'll be alright, you'll be alright_

**Kurt and Sam**:

_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend, till you break_

_Cause it's all you can take_

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad you get strong_

_Wipe your hands shake it off_

_Then you Stand, Then you stand_

**Sam**:

_Life's like a novel_

_With the end ripped out_

_The edge of a canyon_

_With only one way down_

_Take what you're given before it's gone_

_Start holding on, keep holding on_

**Kurt**:

_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend, till you break_

_Cause it's all you can take_

**Sam:**

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad you get strong_

_Wipe your hands shake it off_

_Then you Stand, Then you stand_

**Kurt:**

_Everytime you get up_

_And get back in the race_

_One more small piece of you_

_Starts to fall into place_

_Ohhhhhhhhhh_

**Kurt and Sam:**

_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend, till you break_

_Cause it's all you can take_

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad you get strong_

_Wipe your hands shake it off_

_Then you Stand, Then you stand_

Sam and Kurt took a bow and moved to their positions for the group number. The rest of New Directions came out and took their positions.

**Puck:**

_Give me a second, I, I need to get my story straight_

_My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State_

_My lover she's waiting for me just across the bar_

_My seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking bout a scar, and_

**Quinn:**

_I know I gave it to you months ago_

_I know you're trying to forget_

_But between the drinks and subtle things_

_The holes in my apologies, you know_

_I'm trying hard to take it back_

**Rachel:**

_So if by the time the bar closes_

**Rachel and Quinn**

_And you feel like falling down_

_I'll carry you home_

**New Directions:**

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

**Santana, Mercedes, Brittany, Tina and Sugar:**

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

**Puck:**

_Now I know that I'm not all that you got_

_I guess that I_

_I just thought maybe we could find new ways to fall apart_

**Quinn:**

_But our friends are back_

_So let's raise a cup_

_'Cause I found someone to carry me home_

**Rory, Mike, Artie, and Blaine:**

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

**Mercedes:**

_Whoa_

**New Directions**

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

**New Directions Girls:**

_Carry me home tonight (Nananananana)_

_Just carry me home tonight (Nananananana)_

_Carry me home tonight (Nananananana)_

_Just carry me home tonight (Nananananana_)

**New Directions Boys:**

_The world is on my side_

_I have no reason to run_

_So will someone come and carry me home tonight_

**Puck:**

_The angels never arrived_

_But I can hear the choir_

_So will someone come and carry me home_

**Quinn:**

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

**Mercedes:**

_We are young, yeah_

**New Directions:**

_Tonight_

_We are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

**Puck and Quinn:**

_So if by the time the bar closes_

_And you feel like falling down_

_I'll carry you home tonight_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"And the winner of the 2012 National Show Choir Competition is…. From Lima, Ohio. The New Directions!" The announcer shouted into the mic.

And the group went crazy. Even Mr. M and Coach Sue were teary-eyed about it. Of course, she'd later blame in on her pregnancy hormones, but that was beside the point.

Santana was screaming in Spanish, and this time it wasn't at Finn and Rachel for kissing on stage. Brittany was clapping and jumping up and down.

Blaine and Puck were hugging and smiling. Rachel was shell-shocked, as if she refused to believe that they could win without her on lead. Kurt just shook his head at her and smiled.

Then Quinn gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and Rachel smiled at her.

Rory and Sugar were kissing offstage, and Artie, Mike and Tina were holding up their trophy. Mercedes was grinning like a mad woman.

And Sam. His Sam.

He was staring at Kurt and smiling. And then he walked slowly over to Kurt and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Hey Riz, you were magnificent."

"As were you, Kenickie. We made a good team."

"We did it, baby."

"I know. But you know what. I wouldn't have cared if we lost."

"Why?"

"Because I'm ready for the future. I'm ready for graduation, Kent State, living with you, designing clothes, working part-time in the drama department, moving to New York, and marrying you."

"I'm ready for all that too. I can't wait to see where we are in five years."

"I wonder what my husband will be like," Kurt smiled shyly.

"I don't know. But I heard that he sounds like a drag," Sam flashed his adorable grin, clearly proud of himself for his cleverness.

Kurt groaned and clapped a hand to his forehead. "That was awful.""

"I know," he smirked.

"Only you," Kurt kissed him.

"Only me."

_Only his Sam._

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

**A/N: Yes, I know Sam's line was lame. But he's Sam. He's a dork. What else would he say? LOL**

**This is the final chapter of the high school years. There will be at least two epilogue type chapters though. And I've already committed to at least one more chapter of the back story, (the motel scene as requested by xxYaoiFreakxx)**


End file.
